Pridie drilling

Written by Dr Sheila Strover on March 14, 2025

Pridie drilling is a now defunct cartilage repair procedure that paved the way for microfracture and nanofracture.

Technique of Pridie drilling

Damaged joint surface is drilled with a fine drill, to enable stem cells to migrate from the bone marrow underneath and to cover the surface with new fibrocartilage cells. Small carbon fibre 'Gateshead' rods could also be inserted into the drill holes to act as a conduit for cell passage.