Founder & Medical Director
MBBch, MFSEM (UK), MRCS, MSc (Sports Med), PhD, FEBOT(Eu), FRCS (Tr & Orth)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon · Regenerative Medicine Doctor · Medical Engineer
Prof Paul Lee is an internationally recognised cartilage surgeon, regenerative medicine doctor, and medical engineer. He combines biological repair, surgical expertise, and engineering insight into a single clinical framework for cartilage damage and joint preservation across the body.
He earned his PhD in Medical Engineering at Cardiff University and his medical degree at the University of Wales. He is the founder and Surgical Director of London Cartilage Clinic in Harley Street, founder and Medical Director of MSK Doctors, and consultant orthopaedic surgeon at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. He holds honorary and visiting professorships at the University of Lincoln (Sports Medicine) and the University of Chester (Medical Engineering).
In 2020 he established the ENRICH-MSK partnership between the University of Lincoln and MSK Doctors, bringing together engineering, sport, computer science, life sciences, and rural health research. He has secured over £1 million in research and innovation funding for the MSK research centre in Lincolnshire, which houses the county's only dedicated musculoskeletal open MRI scanner. He is the International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society's Accredited Teaching Centre of Excellence lead and Regional Surgical Adviser for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Patients have included UK Premiership footballers and Olympic athletes.
2026 · British Orthopaedic Association
Awarded by the British Orthopaedic Association for the essay “Recovery in the Age of Intelligence: Why Humility May Be the Surgeon’s Most Powerful Tool.” One of the BOA’s flagship prizes, recognising outstanding contribution to clinical practice, research, and academic thought.
2026 · Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group Trust
2017 · Thieme Medical Publishers
Prof Lee is regularly consulted by national press and lifestyle media on cartilage, joint preservation, sports injuries, and recovery.
Daily Mail
How Ant's Robocop leg brace helps align his joint
Read articleThe Telegraph · 2023
The true difference between men’s and women’s bodies
Read articleThe Sun
The 6 balancing exercises that can help you live longer
Read articleDaily Express
Tennis injuries: how to prevent and treat them
Read articleStylist
Expert running tips with Lululemon
Read articleGolf Chic
The Regeneration Man — Prof Paul Lee (long-form profile)
Read articleNike
Exercises for arthritis
Read articleCoach
What is heel-to-toe drop in running shoes?
Read articleLincsOnline · 2026
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon wins Robert Jones Medal — most respected award in orthopaedic surgery
Read articleOrthoSpaceX · 2023
Innovating Hip Replacement Surgery — The SPAIRE Technique
Read articleSTARR ligament repair, developed at London Cartilage Clinic, used when the anterior cruciate ligament can be salvaged rather than reconstructed. Faster recovery and more natural healing in suitable patients.
Single-stage tissue-engineered autologous cartilage implantation. A one-stage cartilage regeneration procedure positioned across joints, not knee-only.
Soft-tissue Sparing, Piriformis-And-Internus, Repair-and-internal-Exposure approach for total hip replacement, preserving the short external rotators for faster functional recovery.
Anterior approach total hip replacement using a horizontal “bikini line” incision aligned with skin tension lines, for cosmetic and biomechanical advantages.
TWIS-TKR (Twist-Tracking Insert System) total knee replacement, an London Cartilage Clinic-associated technique for kinematic alignment in modern knee arthroplasty.
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Cartilage, joint preservation, and regenerative orthopaedic care at Harley Street.
Over 50 peer-reviewed publications across cartilage repair, regenerative medicine, sports medicine, hip and knee arthroplasty, and explainable AI in medicine. Selected articles below; full list available via ORCID and Google Scholar.
Advances in Achilles Tendon Tissue Engineering: Integrating Cells, Scaffolds, and Mechanics
Bioengineering · 2025
doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12121346Polyacrylamide hydrogel injections in knee osteoarthritis: A PROMs-based 24-month cohort study
Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma · 2025
doi.org/10.1016/j.jcot.2025.103136Empirical Validation of a Streamlined Three-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Protocol Using MAI Motion
Applied Sciences · 2025
doi.org/10.3390/app15105688An Observational Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Microfragmented Adipose Tissue in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis
Regenerative Medicine · 2023
doi.org/10.2217/rme-2022-0110Zero-dimensional biomarker based medical action recognition: towards more explainable AI in medicine
GoodIT 2023 · 2023
doi.org/10.1145/3632047.3632069Long-term results with the Atlas IIIp elastic cementless acetabular component in total hip replacement
International Orthopaedics · 2016
doi.org/10.1007/s00264-015-3088-9Our early experience of the Corin Minihip prosthesis
HIP International · 2016
doi.org/10.5301/hipint.5000343Early failure of the Polarstem total hip arthroplasty — can the Australian NJR tell us the future?
Journal of Arthroplasty · 2014
doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2013.07.040No effect of intravenous Actovegin on peak aerobic capacity
International Journal of Sports Medicine · 2012
doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1291322Actovegin: cutting-edge sports medicine or “Voodoo” remedy?
Current Sports Medicine Reports · 2011
doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e318223cd8aProf Lee's qualifications, registrations, and academic appointments can be verified independently:
GMC online register
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Personalised assessment for cartilage, joint preservation, regenerative injections, and orthopaedic surgery — at our Harley Street clinic.
London Cartilage Clinic
Clinical updates, cartilage treatment guidance, and recovery-focused articles from our specialist team.
Most new knee, shoulder and back pain is managed first with structured rehabilitation, not surgery or immediate scanning. Recurrent giving way, marked weakness, or red flags such as unrelenting night pain, fever, weight loss, trauma or neurological symptoms prompt earlier specialist review.
ChondroFiller is a cell-free type I collagen scaffold placed into focal cartilage defects to support repair, and small knee studies report improved pain and function with no major implant-related complications at 12 months. Its main attraction is a lighter surgical footprint than microfracture, OATS or osteochondral allograft, but long-term evidence remains limited.
Worn knee cartilage does not reliably grow back to normal hyaline cartilage, while ACL and meniscus injuries can raise the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Repeated swelling, giving-way, catching or true locking point to ongoing joint stress and a need for specialist assessment.
