Dr. Simone Perelli
Pathologies and Procedures

I carry out my activities in Italy and Spain.

In Italy, I practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Piacenza and Turin.

In Spain, I operate in Barcelona.

I’m a world renew expert in:

  • meniscal injuries and transplantation
  • cartilage transplants
  • anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and multi-ligament injuries
  • unicompartmental knee prosthesis
  • osteotomy
  • preservation surgery
  • knee joint salvage procedures

Meniscal Injuries

The meniscus is the joint shock absorber that most frequently breaks in our body. It can present a traumatic or degenerative type of injury. The first is frequent in young individuals and often related to concomitant ligament injuries in the context of a knee sprain. The second is related to age, weight, and repetitive load-bearing activities (sports or work) on the knee. Some types of meniscal injuries can be repaired while in some cases it is necessary to proceed with a meniscectomy, which is the removal of part of the injured meniscus. Nowadays, all these surgical procedures are performed through arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that allows visualization of the knee joint structures through a camera that enters the joint through an access of less than 1 centimeter at the skin level. I am an expert in treating rare meniscal pathologies that are difficult to diagnose such as discoid meniscus, hypermobile meniscus, meniscocapsular lesions (ramp lesion), and meniscal root lesions.

Meniscal root tear repair

DoctorPerelli_trapianto_meniscale_ver3

A meniscus ready for transplantation

Meniscal Transplantation

In some patients, meniscectomy, which is the removal of part of the meniscal fibrocartilage following a tear, is not well tolerated. Over the years, the patient develops progressive pain and cartilage degeneration. In these cases, it is possible to proceed with the transplantation of a new meniscus taken from a cadaver to restore the joint’s integrity. This is a technically complex procedure, performed by few surgeons in Europe, for which the Hospital where I work in Barcelona is a worldwide reference center. I often provide training in Italy, teaching colleagues from all over the country to perform this type of surgical technique.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

During sports activities, anterior cruciate ligament rupture is very common. In young and active patients, its surgical reconstruction is indicated. Several techniques have been described for its reconstruction. Personally, I use more than 10 different surgical techniques adpting them to the needs of the patient, but also to the anatomy of each specific knee and associated injuries. It is increasingly important nowadays to individualize surgery and offer specific treatment to each patient. For this reason, despite being a type of intervention performed in practically every hospital, it is advisable to have the procedure done in highly specialized centers with surgeons who perform a high volume of this type of surgery.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Child

Unicompartmental Knee Prosthesis

Joint prostheses are used to replace portions of joints that have degenerated over time. In recent years, I increasingly try to preserve the knee joint as much as possible, that is why I use unicompartmental prostheses that replace only one-third of the joint surface. It is a technique that allows, especially for young and active people, faster rehabilitation, less pain, and in some cases even a return to sports activities. Unicompartmental prostheses cannot be implanted in all knees, and only careful analysis can determine which patients are candidates for this type of technique.