Bone, Cartilage Plugs Could Ease Knee Pain for Many Active Baby Boomers

CBS New York—April 7, 2016

CBS New York's Dr. Max Gomez speaks with Riley J. Williams, III, MD, a sports medicine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery, about his study on the "plug" technique used for cartilage repair in adults living with bone-on-bone arthritis. According to the segment, "Osteoarthritis is wear and tear arthritis. The nice smooth cartilage on the ends of all bones has worn away, and the knees are where that often shows up first."

Dr. Williams explains in the interview that, "By the time you're an adult, cartilage doesn't have a way to get nutrients to support a healing response. So we have to become creative." With this new technique, Dr. Williams uses bone and cartilage plugs to replace missing cartilage.

Dr. Gomez also spoke with Cheryl Christie, a patient of Dr. Williams, about her experience with the cartilage repair: "I feel awesome. Pain free. I play softball, snowboard, etc."

To watch the full segment, visit NewYork.CBSlocal.com.