Knee Cartilage
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Cartilage cell therapy pricing
ACI Cost in the UK: What Cartilage Cell Therapy Really Costs
What ACI costs privately in the UK, why it is not sold standalone, and the all-inclusive STACi route.
Reviewed byProf Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDLast reviewed 1 May 2026Quick answer
There is no single fixed price for ACI in the UK — private cartilage cell therapy typically runs to five figures once theatre, cells, implantation and follow-up are counted. London Cartilage Clinic does not sell classical ACI standalone. It offers the modern single-stage evolution, STACi, from £28,000 all-inclusive, covering everything from theatre to twelve months of follow-up.
Why ACI has no simple sticker price
ACI (autologous chondrocyte implantation) is not a single product with a single price. It is a two-stage surgical pathway, and the cost depends on what each stage involves: a first keyhole operation to biopsy your cartilage cells, four to six weeks of specialist laboratory cell culture, and then a second, larger operation to implant the grown cells. Add the surgeon’s fees, the consultant anaesthetist, the hospital theatre time, imaging, and post-operative physiotherapy, and the total is built from many parts rather than one headline figure.
Because those parts vary between hospitals and between patients, any honest answer to “how much does ACI cost?” is a range rather than a number. What matters more is what is — and is not — included. A quoted surgical fee that excludes the laboratory cell-culture cost, the anaesthetist or the follow-up can look cheaper on paper while leaving you to settle several further invoices.
Why LCC does not price classical ACI on its own
London Cartilage Clinic has moved on from classical ACI as a standalone procedure. ACI proved that a joint’s own cells can be grown and used to regrow real cartilage — but it needs two operations, seals the cells under a flap of tissue harvested from your shin, and was designed mainly for smaller knee defects. The modern single-stage procedure LCC offers, STACi, keeps the principle ACI pioneered and delivers the cells inside a three-dimensional scaffold, in most cases in a single operation, for any joint.
So rather than quote a price for a procedure it does not perform standalone, LCC prices the procedure it does: STACi. Patients who arrive asking about ACI cost are assessed for STACi and given a clear, all-inclusive figure.
Pricing
STACi cost in the UK
From £28,000, all-inclusive at London Cartilage Clinic. Covers theatre and hospital stay, the scaffold and biological augmentation, the consultant anaesthetist, and twelve months of structured follow-up. Your exact figure is confirmed at consultation.
Is there an NHS route instead?
Sometimes. The NHS funds ACI in strictly defined circumstances set out by NICE — the damage must be larger than 2 cm², you must not have had previous cartilage repair surgery, there must be minimal osteoarthritis in the joint, and it must be done at a specialist tertiary referral centre. Many patients do not meet all four criteria, and even those who do can face long waiting lists at the small number of centres that offer it. If you want to understand where you stand, our ACI on the NHS page walks through the criteria in plain English.
What sits inside the price
The operation itself
Consultant surgeon, theatre time and hospital stay for a single-stage procedure rather than two.
The cells and scaffold
Your own cartilage cells, the three-dimensional scaffold that holds them, and the biological augmentation used alongside.
Aftercare that is already paid for
A consultant anaesthetist and twelve months of structured follow-up and physiotherapy guidance, included in the headline figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ACI cost privately in the UK?
There is no single national price. Private cartilage cell therapy is a five-figure pathway once theatre, laboratory cell culture, the anaesthetist and follow-up are counted, and quoted figures vary by hospital and by patient. London Cartilage Clinic offers the modern single-stage version, STACi, from £28,000 all-inclusive, so the whole pathway sits inside one figure.
Why can’t London Cartilage Clinic just quote me a price for ACI?
Because LCC does not perform classical ACI as a standalone procedure. It offers STACi, the modern single-stage evolution, and prices that instead. Patients asking about ACI are assessed for STACi and given a clear all-inclusive figure at consultation.
What does the £28,000 STACi price include?
It is all-inclusive: theatre and hospital stay, the scaffold, biological augmentation, the consultant anaesthetist and twelve months of follow-up. Your exact figure is confirmed once your imaging and the size and site of your cartilage damage have been reviewed. See the STACi cost guide.
Is ACI cheaper on the NHS?
NHS-funded ACI has no cost to the patient, but it is available only if you meet all four NICE criteria (defect over 2 cm², no previous cartilage repair surgery, minimal osteoarthritis, treatment at a tertiary referral centre), and waiting lists can be long. Many patients do not qualify. See ACI on the NHS.
Are there any hidden extras on top of the STACi price?
The figure is structured to avoid them — the laboratory work, the scaffold, the anaesthetist and twelve months of follow-up are already inside it. Anything genuinely outside the standard pathway is discussed openly at consultation before you commit.
Can I get a fixed quote before committing?
Yes. A consultation reviews your imaging and history and produces a clear figure for your case. You can start with a free fifteen-minute discovery call to check STACi is worth exploring before booking the paid consultation.
Still have more specific concerns?
Free Discovery CallWant a clear figure for your cartilage damage?
Start with a free fifteen-minute discovery call, or book a consultation to have your imaging reviewed by Professor Lee and receive an all-inclusive STACi quote.
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