Knee Joint Cartilage Injuries

Articular cartilage is the smooth, slippery, and lustrous tissue that covers the ends of the bones constituting the joints. Healthy cartilage tissue facilitates our movements by enabling bones to glide over each other with minimal friction.

Focal cartilage defects in the knee joint pose challenging orthopedic issues that can lead to significant functional impairment in patients. Symptoms such as pain, locking, restricted movement, and swelling manifest in patients due to friction on the impaired surface.

Given the absence of vessels and nerve endings in the cartilage forming the joint, the likelihood of spontaneous healing is exceedingly low. Surgical interventions are imperative to instigate a healing response in the cartilage.

Diagnosis and Radiological Evaluation

X-ray and MRI examinations conducted subsequent to the patient's medical history and physical assessment yield valuable insights about the patient. Concomitant ligament and meniscus injuries are also assessed in conjunction. In treatment planning, CT scans play a pivotal role in assessing the osseous component accompanying the cartilage injury.

Treatment Options

Characteristics of cartilage damage such as localization boundaries, dimensions, and depth are pivotal considerations in determining the treatment modality. Treatment alternatives encompass microfracture (utilizing bone marrow stimulation), mosaicoplasty (transplanting cartilage from the minimally weight-bearing area to the damaged cartilage in the weight-bearing region), cell-free coverings, ACI (autologous chondrocyte implantation), mesenchymal stem cell therapies (MSC), and allografts (both fresh and frozen).

Despite ongoing advancements in surgical techniques aimed at regenerating the damaged cartilage with identical tissue (hyaline cartilage), the restoration of original hyaline cartilage remains elusive in current treatments. While early mobilization post-surgery is encouraged, it is crucial to instruct the patient to avoid weight-bearing activities for a period of 4-8 weeks with the assistance of crutches.