Knee Cartilage
Demo Author One
Cartilage repair options for lasting joint health
A practical overview of cartilage repair, injection therapy, rehabilitation planning, and the clinical evidence that guides joint preservation care.
MACi availability
Is MACI available in the UK?
Why MACi is not currently available here as a licensed product — and the modern UK route, STACi.
Reviewed byProf Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDLast reviewed 1 May 2026Quick answer
Not currently, as a licensed product. MACi’s European marketing authorisation was suspended in 2014 after its EU manufacturing site closed. It is now a US product, FDA-approved in 2016 for the knee only. UK patients who want this kind of cartilage cell therapy are assessed for the modern, UK-available equivalent: STACi at London Cartilage Clinic.
The short answer on MACi in the UK
MACi — matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte implantation — is a cartilage repair procedure that uses your own cartilage cells, grown in a laboratory and delivered on a thin collagen sheet. It is a genuine piece of medical technology and a real refinement of the original ACi. But if you are a patient in the UK, the practical position is straightforward: MACi is not currently available here as a licensed product.
That is not a comment on whether the idea behind MACi is sound — it is. It is a fact about where the product is licensed and manufactured, which has changed over the last decade. Understanding that change is the key to knowing what your actual options are.
Why MACi is not available in the UK
MACi originally held a European marketing authorisation — the licence that lets a product be sold and used across the EU (and, at the time, the UK). In 2014 that authorisation was suspended following the closure of MACi’s European manufacturing site. In practical terms, once the site that made the product for Europe closed, the European licence could no longer be supported.
Since then, MACi has been developed and marketed as a US product. It was approved by the US FDA in 2016, and it is licensed there for the knee only. So a UK patient searching for MACi today will generally find that it is a US, knee-specific treatment rather than something they can readily arrange in this country.
Held a European marketing authorisation
EU authorisation suspended (manufacturing site closed)
US FDA approval — knee only
Not available in the UK → STACi is the UK route
In short: MACi lost its European licence in 2014 and became a US, knee-only product in 2016. There is no current UK licence, which is why UK patients are pointed toward the modern equivalent.
MACi EU authorisation suspended 2014 (EMA Article-20 referral; EU manufacturing-site closure); US FDA approval 2016, knee only.
Why cartilage cell therapy in the UK has moved on
The MACi story is one reason cartilage cell therapy in the UK has evolved rather than stood still. The clinical principle behind MACi — take your own cartilage cells, deliver them on a matrix, regrow cartilage — is valuable and worth keeping. What has changed is the delivery.
The modern, UK-available version of that principle is STACi. Instead of a flat two-dimensional collagen sheet, STACi delivers the cells inside a three-dimensional scaffold — a sponge-like structure that supports cartilage growth through its depth as well as across the surface, much closer to how natural cartilage is actually built. And unlike MACi, it can be arranged and carried out here.
The UK route: an assessment for STACi
If you have read about MACi and want this kind of treatment, the practical route in the UK is to be assessed for STACi — the same principle, delivered in a way that is both more capable and actually available here.
Available in the UK
STACi is offered at London Cartilage Clinic, an ICRS Teaching Centre of Excellence, led by Professor Paul Lee.
Any joint, not the knee alone
STACi is used for the knee, hip, shoulder, ankle and other joints — where MACi is licensed for the knee only.
Often a single operation
STACi brings the lab into theatre, so in most cases there is no weeks-long wait between two surgeries.
Pricing
STACi cost in the UK
From £28,000, all-inclusive at London Cartilage Clinic. A single all-inclusive figure covering the treatment pathway. Your exact figure is confirmed once your imaging has been reviewed at consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MACI available in the UK?
Not currently as a licensed product. MACi’s European marketing authorisation was suspended in 2014 after its EU manufacturing site closed. It is now a US product, FDA-approved in 2016 for the knee only, so it is not something UK patients can readily arrange here. The UK route for this kind of treatment is STACi.
Why was MACi withdrawn in Europe?
Its European marketing authorisation was suspended in 2014 following the closure of its European manufacturing site. When the site that produced MACi for Europe closed, the European licence could no longer be supported. It was subsequently developed as a US product.
Can I get MACi privately in the UK?
Because there is no current UK licence for MACi, there is no standard private route to it here either. Patients who want autologous cartilage cell therapy are assessed for STACi — the modern, UK-available single-stage equivalent — at London Cartilage Clinic.
Is MACi still available in the United States?
Yes. MACi is FDA-approved in the US, where it was licensed in 2016 for the knee only. That US approval does not make it a licensed product in the UK.
What is the UK alternative to MACi?
STACi. It uses the same principle — your own cartilage cells regrowing cartilage — but delivers them inside a three-dimensional scaffold, treats larger and more complex defects, works across any joint, is often done in a single operation, and is available in the UK at London Cartilage Clinic.
Does MACi being a US product mean it is better or newer?
No. It means the licence and manufacturing moved to the US after the 2014 EU suspension. The delivery method — a flat 2D collagen sheet — is unchanged. STACi’s 3D scaffold is the newer step in this technology.
Still have more specific concerns?
Free Discovery CallLooking for MACi in the UK?
The practical route here is an assessment for STACi — the same principle, more capable, and available. Start with a free fifteen-minute discovery call, or book a consultation to have your imaging reviewed by Professor Lee.
London Cartilage Clinic
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