How To Fix Torn Cartilage In Knee

Is It Possible To Rebuild Cartilage

In general, it is not possible to rebuild cartilage once it is gone. For those who are affected by conditions like osteoarthritis, the cartilage in joints will likely continue to wear away year after year, until there is none left. The only way to restore the joint at that time is to do a full replacement. Other possible treatments may include pain medications and supplements to ease stiffness and prevent further loss.

Although it is not possible to rebuild cartilage, some joints that are constantly painful may be replaced through surgery. Not all joints are eligible for this procedure, and the most common are the hips and knees. In most cases, an artificial joint is implanted into the body to replace the defective one. These new joints last upwards of 15 to 20 years, and pain is almost always alleviated entirely.

There are some indications that certain supplements and emerging treatments may help make it possible to rebuild cartilage, but there is not any evidence as of yet to back these theories up. Glucosamine, for example, has been rumored to rebuild cartilage in the joints of those who suffer from arthritis and other chronic conditions. Medical treatments are also under development, but they are not completed and have not been tested for effectiveness.

Read Also: How To Remove Scar Tissue From Knee Surgery

Aesculap Biologics Is Currently Conducting A Phase 3 Clinical Trial For Novocart 3d

Within the last decades, exciting advances in cellular research have allowed medicine to acquire a new area of focus- regenerative medicine. Regenerative approaches to medicine focus on encouraging the body to repair damaged or diseased tissue. In some areas, the body can be persuaded to recreate and integrate new tissue in the place of old tissue.

The regenerative medicine approach to the repair of tissues and organs damaged by injury, disease and aging is rapidly emerging as a disruptive technology that promises to transform healthcare worldwide. Through the overlap of cell and molecular biology, biomaterial and bioengineering disciplines, the vision of restoring and extending a patients normal, active lifestyle without the use of plastic, metal or foreign tissue parts is no longer science fiction. The use of cells, biomaterials and bioactive mediators, either alone or in combination, can stimulate and guide natural repair mechanisms to produce fully functional, native tissues. This bench to bedside translation of basic academic science principles provides new alternatives to the treatment of a diverse range of unmet clinical needs that encompass musculoskeletal-related conditions, soft tissue wounds, cardio- and peripheral vascular diseases, neurological disorders and stroke.

• Cartilage Treatment Options

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 .

Don’t Miss: How Do I Get Rid Of Fat Around My Knees

Meniscus Tear Exercise : Lunges

The final meniscus tear exercise you can do for your recovery is the lunge. Making lunges is also a great way to increase the strength of your knee and improve the repair of your meniscus.

Since lunges also involve bending your knee under pressure, you shouldnt do this exercise when the function of your knee is still limited.

The reaction of your knee during or after the exercise tells you if you can do the exercise or not.

Perform the exercise like this:

• Place your injured knee in front of your and the other leg behind you
• Now lower your body towards the ground by bending your injured knee
• Make sure you keep your knee in the same place and dont let it shift forward. You may have to place your healthy leg further backward if this is difficult.
• Repeat this ten times
• Do this three times

You can see how to perform the exercise in the picture.

Repeat the exercise with your other leg forward as well. You can also increase the repetitions to 15 or 20.

When you follow this step by step plan to the letter, your meniscus will heal within 6-8 weeks.

If you have any questions left, you can send me an e-mail for personalized advice.

Good luck.

If you find our information helpful and would like to support us, you can donate here through PayPal or leave a review on or .

Also, make sure to to our YouTube channel for more videos.

When Is Surgery Needed

Some meniscus tears require surgery to heal the meniscus and restore the knees range of motion. For example:

• A tear on the inner two-thirds of the meniscus that wont heal on its own because the area lacks blood flow to stimulate the immune system response.
• A tear that gives you a lot of pain or impairs use of your knee may require surgery to remove or repair the torn part of the meniscus.
• Complex tears usually require surgery to trim the damaged part of the meniscus.

Surgery may be a meniscus repair or a trimming of the meniscus tissue, which is called a partial meniscectomy. Note that meniscectomy may cause osteoarthritis in the long term.

Meniscus tear surgery is very common, with about

Its best to see a doctor as soon as possible:

• if you have sudden pain from a knee injury
• if you have trouble using your knee
• if your pain persists

Untreated meniscus tears can get worse, or pieces of the meniscus can shed into the joint. For an athlete, playing through knee pain can cause greater problems later.

A doctor can do physical and imaging tests, such as an X-ray or MRI, to determine what kind of damage you have and discuss possible treatment options with you.

Also consult a doctor if you continue to have pain after a course of conservative treatment.

Don’t Miss: Inversion Table Knee Pain

Nonsurgical Treatment For A Meniscus Tear

Treatment depends on the size, type, and location of the tear, but nonsurgical treatments are often used to treat the injury initially. They include the following:

Rest

Some meniscus tears improve over time with rest, activity restriction, and keeping the knee and leg elevated when possible. It is particularly important to avoid activities that involve twisting, rotating, or pivoting the knee in any way. Walking aids such as crutches may be recommended to take pressure off of the knee and to promote healing.

Using a cold compress or ice pack can help to reduce swelling and pain in the knee. Elevate the knee and leg, wrap the ice pack in a towel , and place the wrapped ice pack on top of the injured area of the knee for 15 minutes at a time. Do this four times per day.

If the ice pack is too cold to the point of causing pain, remove it right away. It should feel numbing and soothing, but not painful in any way.

Medication

Over-the-counter pain-relief medications may help to relieve the knee pain and to reduce inflammation while the cartilage heals. However, taking too much can cause liver damage, so talk to your orthopedist about which medicine would be best while your knee heals.

PRP Therapy

The Cause Of A Meniscus Tear

There are 2 menisci in your knee. These lie on your shin and ensure that your upper leg remains well on your shin. Your shin and thigh both have different shapes, so they dont fit nicely on top of each other. Your meniscus provides stability to your knee and improves mobility.

The outer part of the meniscus is well perfused, and the inner part has almost no perfusion. Good blood circulation is necessary for a good recovery because blood transports the essential building materials. As a result, the outer part of the meniscus recovers better than the inner part.

The inner part of the meniscus can recover because the use of the knee ensures that the synovial fluid can pass on the building materials to the meniscus. However, this goes much slower so that the recovery of the inside of the meniscus goes slower.

The cause of a meniscus tear is often overload, a fall, or twisting of the knee. Wear and tear can also cause the quality of your meniscus to deteriorate, causing a tear. It is often associated with knee osteoarthritis.

The symptoms of your knee pain can help you determine whether your meniscus is the cause of your knee pain.

Also read: Knee osteoarthritis treatment | 3 exercises to postpone surgery

Read Also: Cellulite Above Knees

Who Should Consider Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair

Even though the recovery is longer for a meniscus repair than for a meniscectomy, any repairable meniscus should generally be repaired. Meniscus repair is considered when:

• the patient is healthy and wishes to remain active,
• the patient understands the rehabilitation, and accepts the risks of surgery,
• the meniscus tear is located in the periphery of the meniscus,
• the meniscus tissue is of good quality, and
• the surgeon is experienced in meniscus repair

Researchers Find Method To Regrow Cartilage In The Joints

In laboratory studies, Stanford School of Medicine researchers have found a way to regenerate the cartilage that eases movement between bones.

Michael Longaker

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a way to regenerate, in mice and human tissue, the cushion of cartilage found in joints.

Loss of this slippery and shock-absorbing tissue layer, called articular cartilage, is responsible for many cases of joint pain and arthritis, which afflicts more than 55 million Americans. Nearly 1 in 4 adult Americans suffer from arthritis, and far more are burdened by joint pain and inflammation generally.

The Stanford researchers figured out how to regrow articular cartilage by first causing slight injury to the joint tissue, then using chemical signals to steer the growth of skeletal stem cells as the injuries heal. The work was published Aug. 17 in the journal Nature Medicine.

Cartilage has practically zero regenerative potential in adulthood, so once its injured or gone, what we can do for patients has been very limited, said assistant professor of surgery Charles K.F. Chan, PhD. Its extremely gratifying to find a way to help the body regrow this important tissue.

Charles K.F. Chan

Damaged cartilage can be treated through a technique called microfracture, in which tiny holes are drilled in the surface of a joint. The microfracture technique prompts the body to create new tissue in the joint, but the new tissue is not much like cartilage.

Also Check: Does Tommie Copper Knee Sleeve Work

The Process Of Producing New Cartilage

The formation of cartilage starts even before a person is born. It starts as a primitive, loose and undifferentiated connective tissue that subsequently undergoes differentiation in a process called chondrogenesis.

The cells involved in cartilage formation are called chondrocytes.

To simplify the growth process of cartilage, there are two mechanisms involved:

1. Interstitial growth

• The chondrocytes undergo cell division and increase in number
• The matrix of the cartilage is synthesized
• The cartilage expands from within

2. Appositional growth

• Premature chondrocytes called chondroblasts differentiate
• The matrix of the cartilage is synthesized
• The girth of the cartilage expands

So, how is understanding this growth process important to you?

Previously, orthopedic specialist hypothesized that articular cartilage cannot regenerate because it has no blood supply.

When you recheck the processes outlined above, you can see how easy it is to manipulate the growth of cartilage.

For instance, you can:

What Causes A Meniscus Tear

Older people often get meniscus tears because their menisci become brittle and less flexible with age. But for teens, meniscus tears usually happen because of an injury often after twisting or turning the knee while it is bent and the foot is firmly planted. This might happen when:

• lifting heavy objects
• making sudden changes in direction or slowing or stopping quickly, as can happen in sports like soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, and racquetball
• taking a direct hit to the knee while playing a contact sport, such as football, hockey, or rugby, where the knee may be forced to twist or turn awkwardly
• falling in a way that puts a lot of strain on the knee during a fall, as can happen in sports like skiing or snowboarding

Meniscus tears often happen along with other knee injuries such as ligament tears.

Read Also: How Much Does Aflac Pay For Knee Surgery

What Are The Symptoms Of A Knee Cartilage Injury

If a fragment of cartilage is damaged or breaks away, it can cause:

• Pain, swelling and stiffness in the knee
• A sensation of grinding or clicking in the joint when it moves
• Difficulty carrying out everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, bending, squatting and kneeling
• Knee instability
• The joint catching or locking when you bend or straighten your knee

Contact Medical Expert Today And Learn More About Free Private Treatments

There are a number of free private treatments which can be accessed across the UK for torn cartilage injuries in the knee including free provision of medical supplies and free professional physiotherapy programmes. With this free private physiotherapy treatment, the recovery time for torn cartilage in knee injuries may be shortened and your life can get back to normal once more. Contact Medical Expert on .

You May Like: Nano Knee Cost

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:

Book An Appointment With Capital Orthopaedics

If you are recently injured or concerned about ongoing pain, our team of specialists has the expertise to evaluate your discomfort and develop a plan to get you back to being active quickly and with the best long-term outcomes.

To book an appointment in one of our central London locations, contact us here.

Don’t Miss: Bleach Dark Knees

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.

Meniscal Surgery Outcomes And Complications

Again, many people believe that meniscal surgery is needed if a meniscal tear is found on MRI and you have some knee pain. However, what is the evidence that having a meniscal surgery would help, and what are the types of meniscal surgeries? About ninety-six percent of the meniscal surgeries that are performed currently are meniscectomies, where the part of the meniscus that is torn or injured is cut and removed.

This is despite many times this being called a meniscal repair. Another type of surgery, which is rarer, which is a true meniscal repair is where parts of the meniscus are sewn back together to try to get that meniscus to heal up rather than removing a piece of tissue. Most of the research on arthroscopic surgery, for partial meniscectomy shows that the surgery does not work. There was a 2013 study showing that it could not beat physical therapy .

Read Also: Inversion Table After Hip Replacement

Symptoms Of Torn Knee Cartilage

How do you know if you’ve sustained a cartilage tear?

You may experience acute symptoms like pain and buckling of the knee right after an injury, but not necessarily sometimes, cartilage damage can happen gradually over time, resulting in intermittent symptoms. Some people with meniscus tears have no pain and don’t even realize they have an injury.

However, even if you’re pain-free, you will likely note one or more of the following symptoms:

• pain or tenderness in the knee

• buckling or locking of the knee joint
• crunching or popping noises when walking
• dull pain under the kneecap when exercising
• difficulty bearing weight
• inability to bend or straighten the knee
• swelling or “water on the knee,” a buildup of fluid inside the knee joint
• tightness of the knee joint

What Is Cartilage Damage

The slippery articular cartilage that coats your bones helps with smooth movement.

If its torn or worn, it can leave the rough bone surfaces exposed resulting in friction in the joint. Damaged cartilage can potentially lead to knee arthritis, with long-term effects on your knee function.

Damaged cartilage almost always has some sort of effect on your knees whether its pain, swelling or stiffness.

Don’t Miss: Ginger Poultice For Knee Pain