Joint Preservation

Joint Preservation Centre

What is Joint Preservation?

For many patients with joint pain, surgery is not always the first or best option. Modern orthopaedics increasingly focuses on Joint Preservation — a specialised field aimed at maintaining the health of your natural joints, reducing pain and delaying or avoiding joint replacement surgery whenever possible.

At the Joint Preservation Centre, Dr Anand Jadhav offers advanced treatments designed to preserve joint function, restore mobility and help patients continue enjoying active lifestyles. These treatments aim to:

Relieve pain
Improve joint function
Slow down arthritis progression
Repair damaged cartilage, ligaments and tendons
Delay or avoid joint replacement surgery

The philosophy is simple: preserve the natural joint whenever possible and replace it only when truly necessary. Joint preservation is particularly valuable in younger and active individuals who wish to maintain high levels of activity and sports participation.

Main image — healthy vs arthritic joint illustration
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Active patient / sports photo
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Consultation / joint examination photo
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Who Can Benefit from Joint Preservation?

Joint preservation treatments are especially useful for patients who are considered too young or too active for joint replacement surgery.

Early Arthritis

Joint pain and stiffness in the early stages, before severe cartilage loss has occurred.

Cartilage Injuries

Focal damage to the smooth joint surface, which can progress to arthritis if untreated.

Meniscal Injuries

Tears of the knee's shock-absorbing menisci, often repairable with keyhole surgery.

Ligament Injuries & Instability

ACL and other ligament injuries causing joint instability and recurrent giving way.

Sports Injuries

Injuries in active individuals wishing to return to sport with their natural joint intact.

Tendon Problems

Painful tendon disorders affecting joint function and activity levels.

Early Avascular Necrosis (AVN)

Loss of blood supply to bone — treatable with joint-preserving procedures when caught early.

Malalignment of the Lower Limb

Bow legs or knock knees overloading one side of the joint and accelerating wear.

Persistent Joint Pain

Ongoing pain despite conservative treatment, where the joint is still worth preserving.

Our Approach to Preserving Your Joint

Every joint preservation journey begins with an accurate diagnosis and a personalised plan.

Clinical Assessment
Detailed history and examination of your joint, activity levels and goals.

Accurate Diagnosis
Targeted imaging such as X-rays and MRI to identify the exact problem at the earliest stage.

Personalised Plan
Treatment matched to your condition — from physiotherapy and injections to joint-preserving surgery.

Rehabilitation
A structured recovery programme to restore strength, mobility and confidence.

Joint Preservation Treatments · 1

Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation

A structured rehabilitation programme remains the foundation of joint preservation. Physiotherapy can improve muscle strength, restore joint movement, improve balance and stability, reduce pain, and improve sporting performance.

Often, a well-designed exercise programme can significantly delay the need for surgery.

Lifestyle Modification & Weight Management

Even small reductions in body weight can substantially reduce forces across weight-bearing joints such as the knee and hip. Patients are often advised regarding weight management, activity modification, exercise programmes, sports-specific conditioning and nutritional support.

Main image — supervised physiotherapy session
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Strengthening / balance exercise
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Active lifestyle — walking / cycling
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 2

Injection Therapies

Modern injection treatments can help reduce pain and improve function in selected patients. These include:

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Hyaluronic Acid injections
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
Selected regenerative therapies

These treatments may be beneficial in early arthritis, tendon disorders and sports injuries.

OrthoBiologics & Regenerative Medicine →

Main image — PRP preparation / injection under guidance
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Centrifuge / BMAC preparation
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Knee / shoulder injection procedure
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 3

Arthroscopic Surgery

Arthroscopy allows many joint problems to be treated using minimally invasive keyhole surgery. Common procedures include:

Meniscus repair
Cartilage procedures
Ligament reconstruction
Shoulder stabilisation surgery
Rotator cuff repair
Removal of loose bodies

Arthroscopy often allows patients to return to activity more quickly while preserving normal joint structures.

Learn more about Arthroscopy →

Main image — arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery in theatre
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Arthroscopic camera view of joint
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Small keyhole incisions / portals
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 4

Cartilage Restoration Procedures

Damage to joint cartilage can lead to early arthritis if left untreated. Modern cartilage restoration procedures include:

Microfracture
Abrasion Chondroplasty
Osteochondral transplantation
Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI)

These procedures aim to restore damaged cartilage and preserve the natural joint.

Cartilage Injuries & Treatment →

Main image — cartilage restoration illustration
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Cartilage defect (arthroscopic view)
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OATS / ACI procedure diagram
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 5

Osteotomy Surgery

In selected patients with early arthritis and limb malalignment, osteotomy surgery can redistribute forces across the joint and delay joint replacement surgery for many years.

Examples include High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO) and Distal Femoral Osteotomy (DFO). These procedures are particularly useful in younger active patients with early knee arthritis.

Learn more about Knee Osteotomy →

Main image — limb alignment correction illustration
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Pre/post alignment X-ray
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HTO plate fixation X-ray
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 6

Early Treatment of Avascular Necrosis (AVN)

When diagnosed early, AVN of the hip may be treated with joint-preserving procedures such as core decompression, bone grafting, and regenerative treatments with PRP, BMAC or Cultured Osteoblast Implantation.

Early diagnosis is crucial to achieving the best outcomes in AVN.

Core Decompression for Hip AVN →

Main image — hip AVN illustration / MRI
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Core decompression procedure diagram
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Stages of AVN illustration
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Joint Preservation Treatments · 7 · New

Intraosseous Bioplasty (IOBP)

A biological solution for early bone damage and joint preservation.

In selected patients — particularly younger and active individuals — joint pain may arise from damage in the subchondral bone beneath the cartilage. IOBP is a minimally invasive procedure in which the damaged area within the bone is carefully decompressed and filled with a biological graft of concentrated bone marrow cells (BMAC) and bone-graft material, encouraging new bone formation and supporting the cartilage above it.

IOBP may benefit selected patients with painful bone marrow lesions, subchondral insufficiency fractures, stress-related bone injuries and early avascular necrosis.

Learn more about IOBP →

Cross-sectional illustration of a bone lesion treated with an intraosseous instrument — Targeted treatment of the damaged subchondral bone.

Illustration of a painful subchondral bone lesion in the knee

Illustration of intraosseous injection into the knee under guidance

Why is Early Diagnosis Important?

Many joint conditions progress gradually over time. Early intervention often allows:

✓Better outcomes

✓Simpler treatment options

✓Faster recovery

✓Reduced pain

✓Delay or avoidance of joint replacement surgery

Ignoring symptoms may result in irreversible damage and more complex treatment later.

When is Joint Replacement Necessary?

Despite advances in joint preservation, some patients eventually develop severe arthritis where replacement surgery offers the best long-term outcome.

The goal of joint preservation is not to avoid replacement at all costs, but rather to ensure that joint replacement is performed at the right time and for the right reasons.

Robotic Joint Replacement →

Optional image — robotic joint replacement / consultation
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Why Choose Dr Anand Jadhav?

Dr Anand Jadhav has over 30 years of orthopaedic experience and specialises in both Joint Preservation Surgery and Robotic Joint Replacement. His expertise includes:

✓Sports Medicine

✓Arthroscopy

✓Cartilage Restoration

✓Osteotomy Surgery

✓Regenerative Orthopaedics

✓Robotic Joint Replacement

This unique combination allows Dr Jadhav to offer the full spectrum of treatment options — from preserving the natural joint to advanced robotic replacement surgery when required.

Our Philosophy — Preserve when possible. Repair when necessary. Replace when appropriate. The ultimate aim is to help patients remain active, independent and pain-free for as long as possible.

Photo of Dr Jadhav in clinic / theatre
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Patient consultation photo
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Operation theatre / team photo
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is joint preservation an alternative to joint replacement?

For the right patient at the right stage, yes. Joint preservation aims to delay or avoid replacement surgery. However, in advanced arthritis, joint replacement may remain the best long-term option — the goal is to ensure replacement is performed at the right time and for the right reasons.

Am I too young for joint replacement?

Joint preservation treatments are especially valuable for patients considered too young or too active for joint replacement. A clinical assessment and imaging will help identify which joint-preserving options are suitable for you.

Do all joint preservation treatments involve surgery?

No. The foundation of joint preservation is non-surgical — physiotherapy, lifestyle modification, weight management and injection therapies. Surgery such as arthroscopy, cartilage restoration or osteotomy is considered when appropriate.

Why does early diagnosis matter so much?

Many joint conditions progress gradually. Early intervention usually means better outcomes, simpler treatment, faster recovery and a greater chance of delaying or avoiding joint replacement. Ignoring symptoms may lead to irreversible damage.

If I need surgery, who will actually perform it?

Dr. Anand Jadhav performs every operation personally. Assisting staff may support the procedure, as is standard in any operating theatre, but the surgery itself is never delegated to another surgeon.

What is Joint Preservation?