What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of Cartilage Damage In The Knee
Cartilage damage can affect your knee in different ways.
Torn cartilage can get caught between the structures of your knee, resulting in pain, swelling and sometimes a locking or catching sensation.
You may also experience a feeling of instability and weakness.
Knee pain can cause you to alter your gait, which can, in turn, lead to misalignment and pain in your knees, ankles or hips.
Arthritis Keeping You Stagnant Get Moving Again With Cartilage Restoration
A diagnosis of knee arthritis does not have to slow you down, especially for younger active people.
Orthopaedic doctors, like those at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, now have advanced surgical methods to address arthritis pain and symptoms at the source, so patients can maintain their active lifestyles. Interested in pursuing knee cartilage treatment? Do you need a professional torepair the damaged cartilage in the knee without undergoing a replacement procedure?
Learn about your care options at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in North Jersey. Our Sports Medicine specialists can evaluate the conditions of active adults and determine whether or not they could benefit from cartilage restoration treatment. Below, we share the basic information you need to know about cartilage damage, the treatment process, and recovery.
Treatment Of Torn Cartilage
Treatment for a cartilage tear will depend on the size, location, and severity of your symptoms, as well as your age, activity level, injury type, and the overall condition of the joint. For small cartilage tears causing minor symptoms, noninvasive and holistic treatments such as the RICE method rest, ice, compression, and elevation are first recommended.
If the RICE method doesnt work to relieve the pain or the disabling condition of the injured joint, then your orthopedist may recommend physical therapy and changes to your lifestyle which may be exacerbating the injury. A small torn meniscus that is damaged on the outer section of the meniscus may not require surgery, as the blood supply is better in that region and can therefore heal on its own eventually. Some tears, however, can cause the joint to become unstable, which means that surgery may be necessary.
Recommended Reading: Why Do My Knees Crack When I Squat
Articular Cartilage Repair Helps Restore Damaged Knee Joints
Procedure provides non-invasive option to deliver new life to injured joints
DAYTON, Ohio Painful joints dont always point to the need for replacement surgery, particularly in cases in which articular cartilage in the knee has been damaged by injury.
Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue covering the ends of bones where they form joints, allowing them to move with very little friction. When cartilage becomes damaged due to general wear and tear or injury, it does not easily heal on its own and requires surgical intervention. Thankfully, patients now have a variety of treatment options that can be used to restore healthy joints. These procedures help prevent or delay further wearing away of cartilage, which can lead to osteoarthritis as bone rubs against bone, eventually requiring joint replacement surgery.
A relatively new procedure known as Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation removes a patients healthy tissue from a non-weight bearing area and grows new tissue that is later implanted into the affected area.
Recently the Food and Drug Administration approved a refinement of the MACI procedure which improves results and reduces complications and recovery time, said Eric Fester, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Premier Orthopedics.; Its a nice even fill of the defect with a high density of cartilage cells, so it grows in better.
Ready to get the care you need?
Caring For Your Knee Immediately After Injury
Read Also: How To Prevent Knee Pain In Old Age
Surgery Is A Big Step Can Anything Be Done Earlier To Prevent Or Minimize Damage To Knee Cartilage
Of course, non-operative options for managing cartilage health are always our first recommendation. At MedSport, we encourage patients to exercise to keep their legs strong, especially the quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh. And keeping ones weight under control is so important, especially if there is already some damage to the knee. The knees bear two to four times the bodys weight with each step and up to ten times that much when running or climbing. That means a ten-pound weight loss takes 40 pounds of pressure off the knee with every step taken through out the day . ;
Also Check: Is Nano Knee Covered By Medicare
Can Damaged Cartilage Cause Joint Damage
Yes. Cartilage damage can cause further joint damage because the rough area of the cartilage defect will rub against healthy parts of the knee during motion. This can lead to further destruction of the joint.; Imagine sand paper rubbing on a smooth surface. This is what happens in the knee with cartilage damage. That smooth surface will eventually wear and become rough like the sand paper, and cause pain.
Don’t Miss: Knee Pain When Lying Down
Repair Damaged Cartilage In The Knee With Knee Cartilage Regeneration
Damaged cartilage cannot repair itself. However, knee cartilage restoration helps patients regain mobility by resurfacing and stabilizing the joint. Two of the most common cartilage restoration processes that are performed by our Rothman Orthopaedic Institute specialists are:
-
Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation : This process has two steps. To begin, a knee doctor will remove healthy cartilage from an area in the joint that will not harm the patient. The doctor will then send the cartilage collection to a laboratory, where the cells are cultured and can multiply over three to five weeks. The second step involves the reinsertion of the new cells. The doctor will add a layer of bone-lining tissue, then inject the cartilage cells beneath the cover.
-
Osteochondral Transplant: An osteochondral transplant may either include an autograft or allograft. In autograft transplantation, healthy cartilage from one joint in the body is transferred to the damaged area. Osteochondral autograft is typically suggested for smaller cartilage injuries because the procedure is done with an arthroscope.
For larger areas of damage, an allograft from a cadaver is used. Doctors suggest this type of osteochondral transplant after another restoration technique has failed to provide relief or if bone damage is present, in addition to cartilage damage.
Surgery For Meniscal Tears: New Technology To Preserve More Tissue
Published on: 27th September 2021
If youve ever torn a meniscus one of the two shock-absorbing pads of cartilage within your knees you may be familiar with some of the unpleasant symptoms. Stiffness. Swelling. Pain . Sometimes a catching sensation. Perhaps even instability around the joint.
Meniscus tears are pretty common. Younger people tend to suffer them in sport, after a sudden twist or pivot. Older people can be susceptible as their knee tissues weaken with age.
How do you fix a torn meniscus? Well, that really comes down to the type and severity of damage. There are different kinds of tear: horizontal, vertical, anterior, posterior, or all the way around the edge .
Minor tears can heal by themselves, so the treatment process may simply be time, rest, painkillers if necessary, and possibly some physiotherapy. More serious tears, however, can require surgery.
Don’t Miss: Is Nano Knee Covered By Medicare
Best Foods For Natural Knee Cartilage Regeneration
Posted: Jul 23, 2021 · Opinion by Shai Cohen · This blog generates income via ads
Hear that creaking sound while stretching your legs? Yes, the warning sign that your knee cartilage is deteriorating, which may lead to more significant problems like arthritis in the near future. The cushion that prevents our joints from friction is known as the cartilage. As we grow older or at times as we grow fatter, the cartilages deteriorate, and the joints start coming closer to each other, which means more friction. However, thanks to Mother Nature, there are a few foods that can help you improve your joint health by regenerating knee cartilage naturally.
Before starting with the foods for your joint health, let us get a brief idea about the mysteries of our own body.
Mayo Clinic Q And A: New Technique For Repairing Knee Cartilage Damage
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m interested in the new procedure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can repair cartilage in the knee. How does it work? Who’s a good candidate for this procedure?
ANSWER: The new technique is called matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation, or MACI. It can be effective for repairing isolated cartilage damage in the knee, but it’s not useful for people whose knee cartilage is diffusely damaged due to arthritis.
Your knee has two kinds of cartilage: the articular cartilage and the meniscus. Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation is used to repair articular cartilage damage, which can come from an isolated injury or defect, or as a result of arthritis.
Of these two problems, isolated injuries and defects are much less common than arthritis. They usually happen due to an athletic injury or another medical condition, such as osteochondritis dissecans. Both isolated cartilage defects and arthritis have similar symptoms, including knee pain, swelling and loss of motion.
With matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation, the new cells are grown on a membrane scaffold in the lab. That’s different than the cartilage repair techniques previously used. In the older approaches, cartilage cells were grown in a lab and implanted into the knee under a patch created from a membrane taken off the outer surface of a bone, called the periosteum, or implanted under a membrane made of collagen.
Don’t Miss: How Soon Can I Shower After Knee Replacement Surgery
Symptoms Of Torn Meniscus
Torn knee cartilage generally produces pain in the region of the tear and swelling in the knee joint. These symptoms are made worse with pivoting motions, squatting, and vigorous activities. Torn meniscus fragments can get caught in the knee joint and cause catching sensations. If a large enough fragment becomes lodged between the bearing surfaces, the knee may lock and become unable to be fully bent or extended.
For more detailed information on symptoms and diagnosis, please see our article on;torn meniscus.
Ways To Improve And Rebuild Your Knee Cartilage
Knee pain is a common condition that can cause severe discomfort, and it is often caused by tearing cartilage as a result of different vigorous activities. This condition may not require medical attention if it is not severe, since it can heal naturally. As such, the following are seven ways that you can adopt to improve and rebuild your knee cartilage.
Also Check: Why Do My Knees Crack When I Squat
Causes Of Torn Knee Cartilage
Torn knee cartilage is often a result of sudden, twisting, forceful movements of the knee joint. The cause of knee cartilage tear is often traumatic like injury while playing, due to fall or an accident. Forceful movements, sudden squatting, kneeling or similar activities too can damage the knee cartilage.
Sports injuries are the commonest cause of knee cartilage damage or meniscus tear. Those with a history of knee injury or a previously torn knee cartilage may be slightly at an increased risk for further cartilage damage. Certain sports that involve pivoting the knee and forceful jerking knee movements are at greater risk for the tear of knee cartilage.
Sometimes, repeated stress and strain on the knee joint can lead to damage or tear of the cartilage in certain areas. Osteoarthritis, a common degenerative joint condition, results from wear and tear of the knee joint. Older adults, those with previously injured or operated knee joint and overweight people are more likely to have torn knee cartilage.
Some other bone and joint conditions too can affect the knee cartilage or make the knee meniscus weak like certain infections affecting the joint or disorders of joint formation.
Articular Cartilage Paste Graft
At The Stone Clinic, we have a unique procedure for repairing articular cartilage: the Articular Cartilage;Paste Graft, designed by Dr. Stone in 1991.
Articular cartilage paste grafting uses your own bone, cartilage, and marrow cells to regenerate your damaged cartilage. It is a minimally invasive, single arthroscopic procedure that stimulates regrowth of damaged articular cartilage surfaces.
The arthritic area of the knee, or the area where there is missing cartilage, is morselized by the surgeon to create a fresh blood supply and to bring marrow;cells to the surface. The graft is harvested from the intercondylar notch , crushed into a paste, and packed into the fractured chondral defect. The result is a repair technique that can provide durable cartilage repair tissue with long-term improvement in function and diminishment of pain.
“Articular cartilage paste grafting has provided my patients with tremendous relief and permitted a return to sports for many arthritic joints that were thought to require joint replacement. Our published;peer reviewed;long-term outcome studies have matched or exceeded any other published work. Paste grafting has been a great tool for salvaging failed microfractures and other cartilage procedures.”
You May Like: Why Do My Knees Crack When I Squat
What Is The Treatment For A Knee Cartilage Injury
Treatment options depend on a number of factors, including how much the damage is affecting your everyday life and activities.
- Non-surgical treatment includes resting the joint, elevating it, applying ice to minimise swelling and protecting it using a support such as a knee brace. In some cases, this can be enough to reduce your symptoms. However, you may need to make some lifestyle changes, along with having physiotherapy and taking painkillers . You may also be offered injections to reduce inflammation in the joint
- Surgery: its unlikely that the cartilage will heal once it has been damaged. However, your consultant can carry out a number of procedures to help repair the damage. These include:
Can Damaged Cartilage Heal On Its Own
Cartilage damage cannot heal itself.; However, it can become less painful.; Reduction in pain typically happens within the first 4-6 weeks from the onset of problems. If pain has been occurring longer than this, the chance of healing or a decrease in pain is low.; Think of a pothole in the road. As this pothole gets bigger, it will cause more and more issues, and it does not have the ability to fill itself in.
You May Like: Why Do My Knees Look Dark
Comprehensive Orthopedic Care In North Dakota
If you have suffered a joint injury or sports injury, or if you think you may be developing arthritis, see an orthopedic expert here at The Bone & Joint Center. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic doctors are skilled in making difficult diagnoses and treating many different musculoskeletal conditions, including those requiring complex treatments or therapies.
We;treat patients at our many;locations;across the state. For more information about the services we provide or to make an appointment, call us today at 424-2663 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you get back to your active, pain-free lifestyle once again!
Knee Cartilage Damage: Cause And Symptoms
Perhaps you are thinking, Im too young to have arthritis! The truth is that people of any age can develop arthritis, and there are over 100 different kinds. The most common type, osteoarthritis, is typically seen in older patients, which may lead to the assumption that only older adults receive these diagnoses. The next two most common arthritis forms are rheumatoid and arthritis caused by traumatic injury to a joint. These two, among other types, are more likely to be seen in younger adult patients.
Regardless of what type of arthritis you were diagnosed with, you may have some cartilage damage that is in need of repair. How can you tell for sure? Some symptoms of knee cartilage damage include pain and inability to fully move the knee. You may also notice a physical deformity or feel inflammation. Only the diagnosis of an orthopaedic specialist can confirm the extent of the damage.
You May Like: Can You Use An Inversion Table After Knee Replacement
Who Is A Good Candidate For Cartilage Restoration
Anyone who leads an active lifestyle but feels limited by pain, swelling and dysfunction may be a candidate for cartilage restoration.; The best way to determine if you are a candidate is to schedule a consultation with for Dr. Van Thiel. He will examine your knee joint, and possibly order a specialized MRI to determine the health of the cartilage surfaces, and whether you would be a good candidate for restoration.
Treatment Of Knee Cartilage Damage
Non-surgical options
To manage pain and swelling in the days immediately after an injury:
- take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories
- ice your knee two to three times a day, for 20 mins at a time
- elevate your leg as much as possible
- support your knee as it recovers by wearing a knee brace
One of our physiotherapists can also give you exercises to help regain motion and build up muscle strength around the knee.
Surgical options
If your cartilage damage is severe or not responding to physiotherapy, your orthopaedic surgeon might recommend surgery.
Keyhole surgery Your surgeon repairs damaged cartilage by inserting surgical instruments through small cuts in your knee. The operation is carried out using a tiny video camera inserted into your knee and a monitor. Cartilage repair can involve shaving or cutting off ragged edges of torn tissue. If the cartilage doesn’t need replacing, your surgeon may drill small holes in the surface of the bone to encourage the cartilage to re-grow in place. In some cases, cartilage from another part of your body can be grafted onto the bones.
Open surgery in some cases, your surgeon will operate by making a larger incision to open up the entire knee joint.
Anonymous, Cromwell Hospital patient
Don’t Miss: How To Pop Your Knee