At London Cartilage Clinic we offer ACL repair using the STARR technique or a BioBrace implant — both designed to enhance your own ACL’s healing rather than removing it. Repair only works while the native tissue is still viable, and that window is measured in weeks.
Reviewed byProf Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDLast reviewed 1 May 2026When the native tissue is still viable, ACL repair preserves your own ligament — its blood supply, nerves and natural mechanics — and avoids harvesting a tendon to make a graft. STARR and BioBrace are two ways to do that. Both are time-sensitive, so the first decision is imaging, not surgery. The hub below answers every question patients ask in clinic, in the order they ask it.
A spectrum of choices
Replacement is the last resort, never the first. London Cartilage Clinic treats the knee as a spectrum — the role of your consultation is to give you clarity, evidence, and a path that protects what you have for as long as possible.
Protect what is still there. Targeted, non-surgical care that keeps the joint working.
Fix the specific damage — a torn ACL or meniscus. Timing matters most here.
You are hereRebuild tissue with advanced biological techniques, available only at London Cartilage Clinic.
When alternatives are exhausted, restore function — only after exploring every option.
The ACL repair hub
Six dedicated pages, each owning one decision. Work through them in order or jump to the one that matches the question on your mind.
A pop, rapid swelling, instability — how clinicians weigh each sign and why only an MRI can confirm a tear.
Read moreWhat changes in the joint week by week, and why timing decides which options remain on the table.
Read moreTwo operations, two philosophies — what STARR preserves that a graft cannot, and where each is the right answer.
Read moreNot every ACL tear goes to theatre. How activity level, instability and goals shape the rehab-vs-surgery decision.
Read moreFrom the brace-protected first fortnight to return-to-sport testing around month six — what each phase looks like.
Read moreA clinically validated 5-item history screen plus your injury date estimates likelihood and window remaining.
Read moreAm I A Candidate?
A no-obligation self-screen built on a clinically validated knee questionnaire. We will estimate how likely an ACL injury is and how much of your STARR repair window remains, then point to the right next step.
A 2-minute, no-obligation check built on a clinically-validated knee screen. We'll estimate how likely an ACL injury is — and how much of your repair window is left.
A guided screening indicator based on a validated history questionnaire — not a diagnosis. Only an MRI reviewed by a specialist can confirm an ACL injury.
The surgeon-scientist
MBBCh · MRCS · MSc · PhD · FEBOT · FRCS (Tr&Orth)
An internationally recognised authority bridging surgical precision and regenerative medicine — and the surgeon who developed the STARR technique.
Professor Lee personally conducts your consultation, reviews your imaging, performs the surgery and oversees your recovery.
Decades of work on the body’s capacity to heal, applied to joint preservation in the knee, hip, shoulder and small joints.
An academic role shaping the future of sports medicine and regenerative science.
Active patients and sportspeople rely on Professor Lee to protect long careers built on healthy joints.
Choosing Where To Have ACL Repair
Six things that distinguish ACL repair at London Cartilage Clinic from a generic reconstruction list.
Professor Paul Lee developed the STARR technique and performs every case personally. London Cartilage Clinic is the only UK centre where it is available.
How STARR worksThe surgeon you see at consultation is the surgeon in theatre. Imaging is reviewed by Professor Lee personally — no hand-off to a less experienced operator.
Meet Professor LeeA structured timing assessment ensures only patients with viable tissue are offered a repair. Outside the window we discuss reconstruction openly, not as a fallback sales pitch.
See the window phasesHigh-resolution scans arranged inside the repair window, not weeks later. An MRI is the only investigation that confirms whether the ACL can still be saved.
Arrange a scanDay-case arthroscopic surgery at our Weymouth Street venue, IV antibiotic cover, and sterile-field standards above the typical outpatient norm. Safety is layered, not optional.
See ACL repair costBrace-protected start, progressive physiotherapy and structured return-to-sport testing at around month six. Aftercare is part of the operation, not an add-on.
Week-by-week recoveryPast the repair window?
This hub covers ACL repair — preserving and bracing your own torn ligament. When the native tissue has resorbed and repair is no longer an option, Professor Lee offers muscle-preserving ACL reconstruction at the same standard. The consultation pathway is identical.
You may have more options than you think
At London Cartilage Clinic we follow a structured clinical framework across four areas of treatment. Before recommending a single procedure, we assess which combination of approaches gives you the best outcome.
Protect what you have. Slow degeneration and manage symptoms.
Fix specific damage. Torn tissue, unstable joints, structural problems.
Rebuild lost tissue. Biological treatments that stimulate new growth.
When other options are exhausted. Joint replacement as a last resort.
Explore the full range of treatments available for your joint. Each hub page shows every option we offer, organised by clinical approach.
STARR (Suture-Tape Augmented Ruptured-ACL Repair) is a joint-preserving ACL operation developed by Professor Paul Y.F. Lee. It treats the torn ACL as a living organ: the native fibres are realigned, braced internally with high-strength suture tape, and wrapped in a regenerative collagen scaffold so the body can rebuild its own ligament. London Cartilage Clinic is the only UK centre offering STARR. See the repair vs reconstruction page for the side-by-side comparison.
The BioBrace is another method used in ACL surgical repair to strengthen the ligament and optimise healing. BioBrace is a reinforced bioinductive implant that is comprised of both synthetic and biological materials. Its unique properties allow it to share the load and support the ligament throughout the healing process.
It does this using its highly porous collagen scaffold and microfilaments to reinforce it. The clever design and structure of the BioBrace enables regeneration of blood vessels and fibroblasts into the scaffold to naturally integrate with the tissue surrounding it.
Yes. The torn ligament has to still be viable for a repair to hold. Within the first six weeks the tissue is at its strongest, and the window starts to close from there. The 6-week ACL repair window page walks through each phase, and the 2-minute self-assessment shows where you sit.
To be a good candidate for ACL repair using the BioBrace implant or STARR you need to be an adult with a complete rupture of the ACL that has been confirmed by an MRI. Like with reconstruction surgery, ACL repair is a common option adults who have injured their knee during sports.
A detailed assessment with our specialists, including imaging and physical exams, will determine the best approach for your specific condition.
Recovery varies by individual but typically is quicker than reconstruction, with many patients resuming light activities within weeks. See the week-by-week recovery guide for the full pathway.
Risks are minimal and significantly lower than those associated with traditional reconstruction, especially when it comes to long-term joint health.
Yes, in the rare event that ACL repair does not achieve the desired outcome, conversion to reconstruction is a viable option.
Not always. Some partial tears and selected cases can be managed with structured rehabilitation, especially in lower-demand patients with a stable-feeling knee. The decision guide page covers how activity level and instability shape the conversation.
ACL repair surgery is priced from £9,800, self-funded. The fee covers Professor Lee’s day-case surgery, the implant, anaesthetist and theatre time at our Weymouth Street surgical venue, and post-operative review. Onward physiotherapy is quoted separately. See the surgery pricing page for full detail.
Still have more specific concerns?
Free Discovery Call
When a repair is possible, it is the only way to truly protect your own ligament — but every day counts toward your window. Start with a 2-minute self-check, then let London Cartilage Clinic help you move quickly.
London Cartilage Clinic
Clinical updates, cartilage treatment guidance, and recovery-focused articles from our specialist team.
Type I collagen injected under ultrasound recruits the patient's own hip cartilage cells to repair worn surfaces — without the defect-size restrictions of surgical approaches. The outpatient procedure suits 'bone-on-bone' osteoarthritis, with biological repair unfolding over six to 24 months.
ChondroFiller is an injectable collagen hydrogel that sets within three to five minutes, creating a scaffold into which the patient's own repair cells migrate; 81% of patients in published trials achieved good or excellent outcomes with functional gains averaging 30 points on the hip-specific Harris Hip Score.
ChondroFiller lasts substantially longer — 70–85% sustain meaningful relief for three to five years versus six to twelve months for hyaluronic acid — but only because each addresses different pathology: focal cartilage defects through endogenous cell recruitment versus diffuse osteoarthritis through synovial lubrication.
