OATS / autograft cartilage transplant
Cartilage transplant cost in the UK
- ICRS Teaching Centre of Excellence
- Single-stage, your own tissue
- 173+ verified patient reviews
At a glance
How much does cartilage transplant cost in the UK?
Cartilage transplant cost at London Cartilage Clinic is £14,000 all-inclusive of theatre, the surgical fee, the consultant anaesthetist and post-operative follow-up. The procedure is OATS (Osteochondral Autograft Transfer), a single-stage cartilage plug transplant that uses your own tissue rather than donor tissue. It suits smaller focal cartilage defects and is the autograft alternative to OCA replacement at £28,000.
Inclusive price
£14,000
All-inclusive of theatre, the consultant anaesthetist, the surgical fee and a twelve-month follow-up programme. No donor-tissue surcharge because the cartilage transplant comes from your own knee.
Cartilage transplant cost in the UK explained
OATS is a single-stage cartilage transplant using your own tissue. There is no donor cost, no laboratory cost, and no second operation. What the price covers is the theatre time (typically ninety minutes to two hours), the consultant anaesthetist, the surgeon’s time on the day, the surgical disposables and the precision instrumentation needed to harvest and seat the cartilage plugs. Recovery instructions and the twelve-month outcome review are included.
Cartilage transplant at LCC is £14,000, sitting between simpler cartilage repair (from £9,800) and donor-allograft replacement (OCA at £28,000). The price reflects what the procedure does: transplant healthy cartilage rather than regenerate it. Because the tissue is your own, there is no human-tissue regulatory framework to add, which is why OATS is meaningfully cheaper than OCA replacement for the patients in whom it is technically possible.
What is included in the price
Included in the price
- Pre-operative consultation with Professor Lee (60 minutes)
- Pre-admission anaesthetic review
- Theatre fee, surgical disposables and anaesthetic agents
- OATS instrumentation and precision plug harvest and delivery system
- Operating surgeon’s fee
- Consultant anaesthetist’s fee
- On-the-day medications
- Bracing and walking aid where required
- Two post-operative consultations (typically week 2 and week 6)
- Twelve-month outcome review
- Direct line to the surgical team for post-operative concerns
Not included, quoted separately
- MRI imaging at £450 where pre-operative mapping is needed and not already available
- Pre-operative bloods if not already available
- Onward physiotherapy, quoted separately by your physiotherapist
- Travel and accommodation for international patients
Why cartilage transplant at LCC
ICRS Teaching Centre of Excellence
LCC is recognised by the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society as a Teaching Centre of Excellence. Surgeons from other centres train here on cartilage transplant techniques.Your own cartilage, single operation
OATS uses tissue from your own knee, eliminating any risk of immune rejection or disease transmission. The transplanted cartilage plug contains your own living cartilage cells on a bone scaffold, which integrates naturally with the surrounding tissue.A regenerate-first conversation
Cartilage transplant is the right answer for small to medium focal defects. For larger defects, OCA replacement is the better technique. We tell you, at consultation, which conversation is the right one for your knee, and we do not push the wrong technique to fit a price point.The surgeon you see is the surgeon who operates
Pre-operative consultation, surgery and post-operative reviews are with Professor Lee. There is no transfer to a registrar or to another consultant.
Your cartilage transplant journey
- 1
Discovery call (free, 15 minutes)
A clinical coordinator confirms that cartilage transplant is a sensible conversation, books the consultation if so, and answers cost questions. - 2
Consultation with Professor Lee (£350, 60 minutes)
Imaging review, examination, and a written treatment plan. We confirm that OATS is the right operation, or whether a different cartilage option would suit better. - 3
Pre-operative preparation
Bloods, anaesthetic review and consent. Imaging-based plug-size planning where indicated. Typically two to four weeks before surgery. - 4
Day of surgery
Admission at our partner hospital on Weymouth Street, central London. Cartilage transplant takes ninety minutes to two hours of theatre time. Most patients are home the same day or after a single overnight stay. - 5
First six weeks
Weight-bearing is restricted while the cartilage plug integrates. Range of motion exercises begin early. Direct line to the surgical team for any concerns. - 6
Weeks 6 to 16
Progressive return to function with your physiotherapist. Two follow-up consultations included with us. - 7
Twelve-month review
Outcome assessment with the operating surgeon. Cartilage integration matures over twelve to eighteen months, and the long-term review is part of the price.
Funding, insurance and payment
Self-pay
£14,000 for cartilage transplant (OATS), settled by bank transfer or card before surgery.
We can discuss finance options on request rather than promoting a specific finance partner.
Private medical insurance
London Cartilage Clinic is a private-pay practice and does not work with UK insurance panels. The published price is the price you pay; there are no shortfall surprises after surgery.
If you are insured and would still like to be treated here, we can provide an itemised invoice for you to submit to your insurer for reimbursement.
International patients
Outcomes after cartilage transplant
Most cartilage transplant patients are walking unaided by week six and progressing through low-impact activity from three to four months. Higher-impact sport returns from six to nine months depending on progress. Because the transplanted tissue is your own living cartilage, the biological repair is mature rather than provisional, and the long-term outcomes on well-selected defects are durable.
We measure progress at each follow-up rather than relying on time alone, and the data feeds into our published outcome database. The right defect for cartilage transplant is small to medium, focal, and contained: where those criteria fit, OATS is one of the highest-quality cartilage solutions available.
Frequently asked questions
How much does cartilage transplant cost in the UK?
What is OATS and how does it relate to cartilage transplant?
Why is cartilage transplant cheaper than OCA replacement?
What size of defect can a cartilage transplant treat?
Does the donor site cause problems later?
Can I claim cartilage transplant on private medical insurance?
Does the price include the anaesthetist and the instrumentation?
How long is recovery after a cartilage transplant?
Where will the surgery happen?
Can I be treated here from outside the UK?
Ready to talk
Two paths from here
For when you want to talk first, the discovery call costs nothing. For when you have decided you want to be assessed, book a consultation with the operating surgeon. Either way you can learn how the procedure works on the cartilage transplant page.