Mercy Offers Innovative Treatment for Knee Cartilage Repair

Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Mark Sprague. 

Mercy’s Mark Sprague, MD, FAAOS, Chair of the Department of Surgery, has undergone extensive training in this innovative technology designed to repair damaged cartilage and bone in the knee. In a randomized controlled trial, patients treated with the CARTIHEAL Implant experienced post-operative improvements in pain, function and quality of life.

“At Mercy Medical Center, we strive to tailor care to the individual, creating a treatment plan that provides the best possible outcome and helps our patients return to doing what they love,” said Dr. Sprague. “The new CARTIHEAL Implant is a cutting-edge addition to treatment options for our patients suffering from knee pain.”

Cartilage, a connective tissue in the body, has no blood or nerve supply to nourish the growth of new tissues, and no innate ability to heal. The CARTIHEAL Implant is intended to repair damaged cartilage. In the past, there were few options to treat damaged articular cartilage. The CARTIHEAL Implant is an innovative treatment option. It’s designed to help the body grow new tissue and serves as “scaffolding” for the growth of new tissue in the knee to treat damaged cartilage and bone. In a recent study, patients who were treated with the CARTIHEAL Implant experienced significant and meaningful relief of knee pain.

Board-certified in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Sprague specializes in knee and shoulder surgery and his clinical areas of expertise include arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgical techniques. He performs total shoulder and reverse shoulder replacements, rotator cuff surgery, and Labral surgeries. He also performs ligament and meniscal surgeries of the knee.