The recognised starting point
ACi and MACi
The established search terms for cell-based cartilage regeneration. Professor Lee uses them as the familiar reference point when explaining the newer non-surgical and surgical pathways.
International patients · United States
Cartilage and joint preservation in London, for patients from the United States
American patients travel to London Cartilage Clinic for the depth of expertise and the joint-preserving options that Professor Paul Lee offers, combining consultation and treatment into one planned visit.
Read the International Patient Guide
Reviewed byProfessor Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDCartilage and joint preservation expertiseWhy London Cartilage Clinic
Why patients from the United States choose London Cartilage Clinic
For patients in the United States, the draw is expertise and options rather than availability. Professor Paul Lee is an internationally published cartilage and joint-preservation specialist, and patients choosing between a small number of world specialists tend to value that level of experience above anything else.
The focus is on rebuilding and preserving the joint. Where you may have been offered a replacement or told nothing more could be done, London Cartilage Clinic assesses whether a cartilage repair or regeneration option is suitable first. Arthrosamid is now FDA-approved in the United States, so the reason to travel is the surgeon and the breadth of preservation options, not access to any single product.
Why patients travel for treatment
Start with ACi or MACi. Then see what is now possible.
Patients from the United States often arrive searching for ACi or MACi because those are the best-known cartilage cell treatments. They remain important. The assessment also shows where NanoACi, the wider Nano family, the Structure-led STACi pathway, ChondroFiller or Mytocel MSK may fit more precisely.
Non-surgical RegenRepair™
The Nano family
NanoACi for cartilage, NanoAMi for meniscus, NanoATi for tendon and NanoALi for ligament adapt Seed, Soil and Signal to the tissue being treated.
Surgical RegenRepair™
STACi adds Structure
When alignment, stability or the damage pattern needs surgery, STACi addresses Structure before adding the Seed, Soil and Signal cartilage-regeneration biology.
Standalone or within a pathway
Mytocel MSK and ChondroFiller
Mytocel MSK provides living autologous micrografts; ChondroFiller provides a collagen scaffold. Each has a standalone role and both sit within Professor Lee’s wider regenerative toolkit.
Been told replacement is your only option?
Told a knee or hip replacement is your only option in the United States?
Being told a joint replacement is the only option is often a default position rather than the only path. For suitable patients, joint-preserving cartilage repair and regeneration may be an alternative, depending on a full assessment of your imaging, the size and location of the damage and your goals.
This is knee-led. Hip and other joints are assessed honestly and case by case. It is never a question of being faster; it is about whether another option exists for you.
Every alternative-to-replacement statement is a clinical judgement made only after a full assessment. Suitability depends on your individual case.
Most relevant treatments
Treatments most relevant to patients from the United States
ACi and MACi
The better-known cell-based cartilage regeneration procedures, kept as a clear starting point and assessed alongside NanoACi and the Structure-led STACi pathway.
Find out more
RegenRepair™ and the Nano family
Professor Lee’s Seed, Soil, Signal framework, adapted into NanoACi for cartilage, NanoAMi for meniscus, NanoATi for tendon and NanoALi for ligament.
Find out more
NanoACi
A non-arthroscopic cartilage-regeneration pathway combining autologous micrografts, a collagen scaffold and platelet-rich fibrin in one image-guided session.
Find out more
STACi
Professor Lee’s surgical RegenRepair™ pathway: Structure first, then Seed, Soil and Signal for cartilage damage that needs mechanical correction or stabilisation as well as regeneration.
Find out more
ChondroFiller
Collagen cartilage regeneration delivered by injection, made by Meidrix Biomedicals GmbH. The clinic was the first in the UK to offer it as an injection.
Find out more
Mytocel MSK
A single-session regenerative injection using living autologous micrografts prepared chair-side from a small sample of the patient’s own tissue.
Find out moreGetting here
Getting here from the United States
Direct long-haul flights connect most major US hubs with London, so consultation and treatment can be combined into a single planned trip.
Direct from most US hubs
New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco all have direct flights to London.
Virtual first
Much of the early conversation happens by discovery call and virtual consultation before you fly, with imaging reviewed in advance where possible.
Plan the recovery window
For surgical options, plan enough time in London before flying home. Later rehabilitation can be coordinated closer to home.
US and Australian patients often browse in their evening, which is UK morning to early afternoon, so an enquiry is usually answered the same working day.
Visiting us
How to find us
Consultations
66 Harley Street
London W1G 7HD
United Kingdom
Surgery
A partner hospital on Weymouth Street, a few minutes from Harley Street. Imaging is arranged for you as part of your pathway.
Getting here
Central London, a short walk from Regent’s Park, Oxford Circus and Bond Street underground stations.
Costs and insurance
Costs and insurance for patients from the United States
US dollars (USD)self-pay, with pay-and-claim-back international insurance
Treatment at London Cartilage Clinic is direct pay. Costs are quoted in pounds sterling; your bank handles the currency conversion from US dollars.
Where you hold international private medical insurance, treatment is usually arranged as pay-and-claim-back: you settle with the clinic and submit an itemised invoice to your insurer. That makes it equivalent to self-pay from the clinic’s side. A personalised quote is confirmed after your assessment.
Authority
The surgeon you are choosing
International patients are usually choosing between a small number of world specialists, so the surgeon matters more than any single treatment. Your consultation, your treatment and your follow-up are all with Professor Paul Lee.
- Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and medical engineer, PhD
- Internationally published in cartilage repair and joint preservation, cited over 1,000 times
- Lead of an ICRS teaching centre for cartilage regeneration
- Joint-replacement outcomes recorded in the National Joint Registry, within the expected range
- Member of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee (BASK)
International patients · United States
Frequently asked questions
How long should I plan to stay in London from the United States?
It depends on the treatment. Some injection-based options are a short visit, while surgical cartilage regeneration needs enough time for the early review before flying home. Professor Lee confirms the plan for you at consultation, and much of the preparation is done virtually before you travel.
Can my follow-up happen back in the United States?
Early reviews are done in London, and later follow-up and rehabilitation can be coordinated with a clinician closer to home. Professor Lee remains available for remote review.
Will my US insurance cover treatment in London?
Treatment is direct pay. If you hold international private medical insurance, it is usually handled as pay-and-claim-back: you pay the clinic and claim from your insurer using an itemised invoice. Check the specifics with your insurer before you travel.
Start your journey from the United States
Wherever you are travelling from, the first step is the same. Talk it through on a discovery call, or have a virtual consultation with Professor Lee before you plan any travel.