Patient Story · Video
An OCA transplant instead of early joint replacement.
Pamela shares her experience with osteochondral allograft transplantation — a joint-preserving cartilage transplant — for a focal cartilage defect in her knee.
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About this story
A cartilage defect doesn't have to mean a knee replacement.
For active patients with a focal cartilage defect in the knee — too large for a simpler procedure but too young for joint replacement — osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) offers a joint-preserving path. A precisely-sized plug of donor bone and cartilage is matched to the defect, restoring the original joint surface contour.
Pamela shares her experience with this procedure performed by Dr. Gomoll. For an overview of the technique, the typical recovery timeline, and which cartilage defects are candidates, see our cartilage repair page.
About the procedure
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation (OCA)
An OCA replaces a focal cartilage defect with a circular plug of bone and cartilage harvested from a tissue-matched donor — restoring the original joint surface contour. It's the standard option for defects too large for microfracture and for patients who want to avoid early joint replacement. More on cartilage repair →
Read more patient stories
Hear from more of Dr. Gomoll's patients in their own words about how they got back to the lives they love.