Dhanashree Verma, the wife of Indian spin wizard Yuzvendra Chahal, successfully underwent an ACI surgery this week. She took to Instagram on Friday to announce the news to the public. 

ACI surgery or Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation is a special surgery process that repairs articular cartilage damage. Articular cartilage is a special tissue that connects the knee joints and its damage can cause significant pain and discomfort. Normal mobility is also affected in this condition. 

Also read: Dhanashree Verma’s ACI surgery successful, Yuzvendra Chahal says ‘Get well soon wife’

Why Is ACI needed? 

Cartilage damage in the knee joint will prevent the smooth movement of the knee. It will increase the friction between the two bones and lead to joint pain. 

If ACI is not carried out on damaged cartilage in the knee joint it can cause degenerative arthritis in the long run. In extreme cases, it might also lead to partial or total knee replacement surgery. 

For patients suffering from serious cartilage damage, knee replacement is the ultimate solution. However, even in extreme cases, ACI can help by delaying knee replacement and providing much-needed pain relief to the patients. 

The process of ACI surgery 

In ACI surgery, cartilage cells from the knee of the patients are taken and grown in a controlled environment. Once there is significant growth, the cells are implanted in the damaged area. 

Also read: Yuzvendra Chahal responds to rumours on his relationship with wife Dhanashree Verma

The process, therefore, has two steps. In the first step, the cartilage damage is identified through a process called arthroscopy. Cartilage cells are then collected from the damaged area and sent to the lab for growing. 

In the second step, a surgical process is carried out to implant the cells in the damaged zone. 

ACI surgery has been widely accepted as the most common process for articular cartilage damage treatment. 

However, according to a research article published in the Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review, around 15% of all ACI surgeries fail.