Articular Cartilage Damage

Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. Healthy cartilage in our joints makes it easier to move. It allows the bones to glide over each other with very little friction. Articularcartilage can be damaged by injury or normal wear and tear

Cause

Damage to the articular cartilage can result from a variety of causes, such as trauma, injury, or wear and tear. Immobilization for long periods can also result in cartilage damage.

Symptoms

Pain, swelling, and stiffness of the knee

Sharp pain when doing particular motions

If the area of damage expands and the pain persists, the problem can escalate to a more severe arthritis

Tests and Diagnosis

Simple X-Rays could reveal the progression of the arthritis, and through physical exams identifying the degree of swelling, the need for further testing can be established. MRIs and other more in-depth and invasive examinations can help make accurate diagnosis and proper course of treatment.

Treatment

Non-surgical treatment

This is for when the degree of rupture is relatively small and can be sufficiently treated non-surgically. Prolotherapy injection, Laser treatment, and rehabilitation exercise therapy will be conducted in phases.

Surgical treatment

Simple Chondroplasty: chondroplasty is performed to remove and smooth damaged cartilage in the knee in order to lessen friction and allow healthy cartilage to grow.

Microfracture: Under the damaged cartilage, the surgeon rills tiny holes, encouraging blood circulation that lie inside the bone. The blood cells trigger the production of new cartilage. This is the most typical treatment for younger patients with smaller area of damage.

Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation (ACI): This is a two-step procedure that takes several weeks to complete. First, healthy cartilage cells are arthroscopically harvested and grown in the laboratory for around five to six weeks. Then, the newly grown cells are arthroscopically implanted.

Osteochondral Autograft Transplantation (OAT): OAT involves transferring healthy graft (cartilage and underlying bone) from one part of the knee to the damaged area.

Stem Cell Cartilage Regeneration: Bone marrow stem cells are drawn from a patient’s pelvis and injected into the patient’s knee for cartilage repair. Another method is, doctors inject a fluid filled with placental stem cells into the damaged area. There are also stem cell treatments still in the research stages that use patient’s own stem cells from fatty cells and synovial membrane cells.