About Professor Paul Lee
Regenerative Orthopaedic Surgeon | Cartilage & Joint Preservation Specialist
Professor Paul Lee is a UK-based orthopaedic surgeon, professor, and innovation-led clinician whose work centres on cartilage, joint preservation, and more thoughtful decisions before replacement becomes the default.
His perspective is increasingly sought by patients, professionals, and collaborators in the UK and internationally — particularly where decisions are more individual and standard pathways may not fully answer the question.
A specialist perspective
on what may still be possible.
- 01
What may still be preserved
Preservation - 02
What may still be repaired
Repair - 03
Where regeneration may still have a role
Regeneration - 04
When replacement is genuinely the right decision
Decision
This perspective sits at the centre of his work in cartilage, joint preservation, and regenerative orthopaedics — particularly in the space before replacement, where decisions are often most consequential.
20+ years of service with the NHS
Professor Lee's clinical career has been built within the NHS, spanning two decades of frontline practice, surgical training, consultant leadership, and translational research across musculoskeletal and regenerative care.
In 2026, he was formally recognised by the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group Trust with the NHS Award for Long Service — 20 Years. The milestone was marked personally by Chief Executive Professor Karen Dunderdale and Chair Elaine Baylis QPM, alongside colleagues from across the NHS family — from receptionists and support teams to nurses, therapists, and doctors.
“Over the past 20 years, one thing has remained clear to me: the NHS only works through teamwork. Great care is never delivered by individuals working in isolation.”
Robert Jones Medal & Association Prize
British Orthopaedic Association · 2026
“Recovery in the age of intelligence: Why humility may be the surgeon's most powerful tool
Awarded by the British Orthopaedic Association for outstanding contribution in orthopaedic thought and practice, the Robert Jones Medal & Association Prize recognises work that advances the profession and patient care.
View on BOASelected Recognition & Contribution
Professor Lee's work spans clinical practice, education, research, translational innovation, and wider contribution to the future of musculoskeletal care.
Cartilage & Joint Preservation
International Cartilage Regeneration Society (ICRS) Teaching Centre of Excellence
Clinical Service
Over 20 years of NHS and private clinical practice, including NHS Long Service recognition
Academic Contribution
Honorary Professorial and visiting academic appointments across sports medicine, orthopaedics, and medical engineering
Research & Innovation
Innovate UK, Health Foundation, and council-supported translational innovation and grant-funded development
Publishing & Editorial Work
Editor of Musculoskeletal Regeneration Medicine (Springer)
Public Thought Leadership
Author of internationally recognised and Amazon No.1 bestselling regenerative medicine titles
Innovation & Systems
Founder and developer of multiple regenerative and musculoskeletal systems, concepts, and pathways
Clinical Perspective
Specialist work in cartilage, joint preservation, regeneration, and more individual decisions before replacement
Surgeon. Scientist. Engineer. System Builder.
Professor Lee's work is shaped by a cross-disciplinary foundation that integrates:
This allows musculoskeletal problems to be approached not only through treatment — but through pathway design.
If a better pathway does not yet exist — build one.
Defining a space
before replacement.
Professor Lee is particularly recognised for work in the space before joint replacement — where patients seek to understand whether a joint may still be preserved, repaired, or approached more thoughtfully.
His clinical and academic focus.
- 01Cartilage damage and joint preservation
- 02Meniscus preservation and restoration
- 03Knee and hip preservation strategies
- 04Alternatives to joint replacement
- 05Sports-related joint injury and recovery
- 06Specialist second-opinion decision-making
- 07Measuring motion and quantifying MRI scans
Demonstrating joint anatomy with patients —
teaching what may still be possible.
Why this work matters beyond the individual patient
For many patients, decisions around a joint are not simply clinical.
They affect:
- Movement and physical capability
- Independence and daily living
- Long-term joint function
- Identity and confidence
- Quality of life
Yet many decisions are still made:
- Too routinely — without exploring alternatives
- Too broadly — without individual assessment
- Too late in the pathway — when options have narrowed
To improve how decisions are made — not just how procedures are performed.
Clinical, academic, and innovation-led contribution
Alongside clinical practice, Professor Lee's work extends into:
- research and clinical publication
- academic teaching and professorial roles
- editorial and textbook leadership
- translational innovation and grant-supported development
- musculoskeletal technology and systems design
Surgery, science, engineering, and education
— with the aim of improving how musculoskeletal care is delivered, understood, and developed.
International keynote — European AcademyAppointments and wider leadership
Books, writing, and public thought leadership
Professor Lee's work extends beyond clinical practice into writing, publishing, and education — helping make complex ideas around cartilage, regeneration, and musculoskeletal care more understandable and more usable.
Musculoskeletal Regeneration Medicine
Springer, Editor — Latest Release 2025
Regeneration by Design
Amazon No.1 Bestseller
Practical Regeneration
New Book 2026
Sports Muscle Injuries & Actovegin
Foundation Publication
This body of work reflects a wider mission: to move the conversation from routine replacement towards more thoughtful preservation, repair, and regeneration where appropriate.
Publications & Research
Peer-reviewed work across regenerative orthopaedics, biomechanics, AI-driven assessment, and musculoskeletal care.
Investigating the Effects of the UniReliever® Knee Brace Using Analysis of a Novel Digital Platform, MAI Motion
T Verma, Y Wen, P Lee, L Zhang, X Ye
Cureus 18 (4)
Diagnosis and Management of Calcaneal Fractures: Current Strategies
SM Mosaid, A Marudanayagam, P Lee, Y Jihad, R Shahid
IntechOpen
Missed Bilateral Atraumatic Sacral Ala Insufficiency Fractures With Normal DEXA and REMS
A Shahid, B Khoshnaw, I Rakha, S Mosaid, P Lee
Cureus 18 (1)
Advances in Achilles Tendon Tissue Engineering: Cells, Scaffolds, and Mechanical Loading for Functional Regeneration
S Mosaid, P Lee, Y Jihad
Bioengineering 12 (12), 1346
Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injections in Knee Osteoarthritis: A PROMs-Based 24-Month Cohort Study
HCK Gao, M Akhtar, C Creedon, ÖO Nar, T Verma, PYF Lee
Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics & Trauma 69
Empirical Validation of a Streamlined Three-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Protocol Using MAI Motion
Y Wen, T Verma, JP Whitehead, P Lee
Applied Sciences 15 (10), 5688
Developing new pathways and systems
A defining feature of Professor Lee's work has been the development of new frameworks and concepts where existing pathways have not gone far enough.
STACi
A structured cartilage repair technique designed around biological augmentation and optimised tissue integration.
STARR
A specialist soft tissue and reconstruction approach for complex revision and biological repair scenarios.
Liquid Cartilage
A regenerative cartilage concept exploring injectable biological strategies for earlier-stage joint preservation.
Regen Pod
A structured recovery and optimisation environment built around regenerative support and controlled biological exposure.
R.E.U.
Regenerative Energy Units — a conceptual framework for understanding and measuring regenerative energy delivered over time.
G.O.A.T.
A biologically augmented shoulder preservation concept reflecting the wider preservation-first philosophy.
AR-assisted surgery — innovation in practice
BIKINI HIP — patented instrumentNot simply accepting the standard pathway — but improving it.
A perspective sought in the UK and internationally
This is not built around volume. It is built around:
Specialist thinking, more individual decisions, and work that often sits beyond standard pathways.
The Journey
The path to specialist perspective: a timeline of expertise
Recent Ventures & Future Focus
Launched dedicated business ventures: Regen PhD, onMRi, and MAI Motion. Amazon #1 international bestseller “Regeneration by Design” published 2024. Continues to develop MSK Regen charity.
Consultant Roles & Research Leadership
Appointed NHS Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in 2017. Established MSK Doctors, The Keep Clinic, and London Cartilage Clinic. Honorary Professorships at Lincoln and Chester Universities. Secured major Innovate UK funding in 2023.
Fellowships & Early Innovation
Achieved FRCS (T&O) in 2015 and CCT in 2016. Selected for BOA Clinical Leadership Fellowship and NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Fellowship. First book published 2016. Consent PLUS project received Health Foundation funding.
Specialisation & Academic Deep Dive
Earned MSc in Sports Medicine (2011) and a PhD in Medical Engineering (2014) from Cardiff University. Achieved FEBOT certification (2014) and PRINCE 2 Practitioner status (2013).
Medical Degree & Early Surgical Training
Completed Medical Degree (MBBch) at Cardiff University in 2005. Gained Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) in 2008 and MFSEM in 2009.
Foundations & Early Engineering Insight
Professor Lee's unique perspective began in Hong Kong, observing his family repair complex mechanical typewriters. This instilled an early appreciation for systems thinking — seeing how interconnected parts affect the whole — influencing his approach long before his medical career began.
Key Qualifications
As Featured In
Because not every joint should be placed on a standard pathway
For some patients, the most important decision is not simply what comes next — but whether a more thoughtful, more individual, and more specialist approach should come first. That is often where the right pathway begins.
A Globally Recognised
Authority & Educator