Regrowing cartilage? New hope for arthritic joints

Relieving stiff, painful joints usually involves physical therapy, injections and medication—until your symptoms become severe enough to consider joint replacement surgery. But according to Robert Monaco, MD, a sports medicine physician at Atlantic Health, that pathway is rapidly changing.

“We’re not yet regrowing worn-out cartilage or completely reversing arthritis, but there’s remarkable progress using the body's own healing abilities to slow joint damage, reduce pain and, in many cases, delay surgery,” says Dr. Monaco.

Tapping into the body’s ability to heal

This emerging field of medicine is known as regenerative orthopedics, and it’s giving patients who have mild to moderate arthritis new options that didn't exist a decade ago. Platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) are just one example.

“Muscles naturally heal well, but cartilage and tendons regenerate much more slowly because they have limited blood supply and low cell turnover,” says Dr. Monaco. “By harnessing your body's own cells, today's regrowth therapies can help symptoms, improve function and slow disease progression—especially if treatment begins before arthritis becomes too severe.”

Regrowing cartilage with platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

For many, PRP injections are effective for tendon injuries and early-stage arthritis. The procedure involves drawing a patient's blood, processing its platelets, which are powerful for regrowth and healing, and injecting that platelet-rich blood into the injured joint or tendon.

Dr. Monaco offers a simple analogy. "Think of it as a garden," he says. "PRP is like adding fertilizer. You're improving the joint’s environment to give it the best opportunity to repair itself."

Other tools for joint arthritis

Regenerative medicine is only one option in today's expanding arthritis toolbox. Here are a few other therapies that can improve comfort and mobility. But these are not considered regenerative — they don't stimulate the body's healing response or slow down the arthritic process. And, according to Dr. Monaco, that’s an important distinction.

Hyaluronic acid injections, also known as ”gel shots”, lubricate joints and reduce pain for patients with mild to moderate arthritis.

Low-dose radiation therapy is a reliable pain-relief option that reduces inflammation and eases arthritis pain in certain patients.

Nerve ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that treats specific nerves around the arthritic joint and interrupts pain signals.

"There’s not one treatment that's right for everyone, but we’re now offering personalized care options based on a patient's age and preferences, overall health and activity, and stage of disease," Dr. Monaco says.

"If a patient is young, healthy and hoping to postpone surgery, activating the body's healing response with regenerative therapy may be the best option. For others, reducing pain may be a better strategy. Our goal is to give patients choices that improve their quality of life and help them stay active for as long as possible."