Dr. Messina presenting “Contemporary Repair Strategies” at the NYU Langone Patellofemoral and Cartilage Controversies course, October 2–3, 2026.
“A perfect cartilage repair placed into an unstable, maltracking joint fails early.”
Dr. James C. Messina recently opened the cartilage session at the NYU Langone Patellofemoral Course. His talk, “Contemporary Repair Strategies,” gave an overview of how surgeons decide when and how to treat cartilage damage behind the kneecap.
The kneecap joint carries about three times body weight on stairs and up to seven to eight times in a deep squat, so cartilage injuries there are hard to treat. Not every cartilage defect needs surgery. Symptoms, the exam and the MRI should all point to the same problem. When surgery is needed, the cartilage often can’t be treated in isolation: if the kneecap is maltracking or unstable, even a perfect repair can fail early.
Dr. Messina treats the full spectrum of patellofemoral problems, from fragment repair and cartilage restoration (cartilage cell implantation/MACI, OATS and osteochondral allograft) to realignment surgery such as tibial tubercle osteotomy and MPFL reconstruction. He combines these when needed so the repair has the best chance to last.
If you’re dealing with kneecap pain, instability or a cartilage injury, schedule a consultation with Dr. Messina in Commack.
