India’s First-Of-Its-Kind Knee Salvage Surgery At RML Hospital Offers New Hope To Young Patients

In a landmark medical achievement, ABVIMS & Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, has successfully performed India’s first-of-its-kind knee salvage surgery, offering a ray of hope to young patients facing early joint degeneration and the prospect of premature knee replacement.

The advanced joint-preservation procedure was led by Dr. Rahul Khare, Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics at the government-run tertiary hospital, on January 13, 2026, on a 30-year-old woman, marking a significant milestone, particularly in sports injury management and knee preservation surgery in the country.

According to available medical records, this is the first reported instance in India of a meniscus reconstruction using the patient’s own tendon combined with corrective bone realignment to prevent early osteoarthritis. The meniscus is a specialised cartilage structure that acts as a shock absorber in the knee.

Dr. Khare said the patient had sustained a right knee injury a year earlier and was diagnosed with a medial meniscus tear. She underwent surgical repair at another hospital but continued to suffer from persistent knee pain. “When she presented at ABVIMS & Dr. RML Hospital for further evaluation, we found early osteoarthritic changes in the medial compartment of the knee along with a varus (bow-leg) deformity — a particularly challenging scenario given her young age.”

Traditionally, failed meniscus repairs leave surgeons with little choice but to remove the damaged cartilage, added Dr. Khare. While this may relieve symptoms temporarily, it significantly increases stress on the knee joint and accelerates degeneration. In young patients, this process can lead to painful osteoarthritis within five to six years, often culminating in the need for early knee replacement.

Determined to avoid this outcome, the Orthopaedics Unit–1 team adopted a novel knee-salvaging strategy. “We performed an arthroscopic meniscus transplantation using a semitendinosus autograft (the patient’s own tendon), combined with a high tibial osteotomy to correct knee alignment. Together, these procedures aim to restore normal knee biomechanics, redistribute joint load and delay — or even prevent — the onset of advanced arthritis,” explained Dr. Khare.

Dr. Khare was assisted by the team including Dr. Pranay Gupta, Assistant Professor, along with Dr. Ravi Ranjan, Senior Resident, and Dr. Mohit Raj, Postgraduate Resident. The team also acknowledged the support of Dr. Ashok Kumar, Director, ABVIMS & Dr. RML Hospital, and Dr. Vivek Dewan, Medical Superintendent, for facilitating the procedure.

Dr. Gupta explained, “This salvage revival approach is designed to preserve the knee rather than sacrifice it.” He added that correcting the alignment is crucial to protect the reconstructed meniscus from excessive stress.

At the same time, Dr. Khare said the meniscus, a specialised cartilage structure that acts as a shock absorber in the knee, only has a blood supply in its outer portion. “Tears in the inner, avascular region do not heal well, as oxygen and nutrients cannot reach the tissue. When repairs fail, removal of the meniscus becomes inevitable — a step that dramatically increases the risk of early osteoarthritis.”

Such innovative technology is particularly useful in younger patients—particularly athletes, footballers, and road accident victims—where damage can progress rapidly, leading to chronic pain, loss of mobility, and disability at a productive age.

Globally, meniscus transplantation is usually performed using donor tissue from deceased organ donors. This approach carries risks of infection, immune rejection, and high costs, and donor availability remains a major limitation in India, pointed out Dr. Khare.

By using the patient’s own tendon, the risk of rejection and disease transmission has been reduced while also reducing costs — making the technique especially relevant in resource-constrained public healthcare settings, he said.

Post-surgery, both the reconstructed meniscus and the corrected bone alignment require two to three months to heal. “During this period, patients are allowed to walk with support but are advised against weight-bearing until healing is complete. Physiotherapy typically begins after six weeks,” Dr. Khare told Health Outlook.

While long-term Indian data is still evolving, international studies have shown encouraging results. Dr. Khare, however, made it clear that such technology is not meant for everybody. However, with careful patient selection, this technique could open a new therapeutic pathway for young patients who previously had no option other than living with progressive joint damage, he said.