What is an Articular Cartilage Defect?
The articular or hyaline cartilage is the tissue lining the surface of the two bones in the knee joint. Cartilage helps the bones move smoothly against each other and can withstand the weight of your body during activities such as running and jumping. Articular cartilage does not have a direct blood supply to it, so has less capacity to repair itself. Once the cartilage is torn it will not heal easily and can lead to degeneration of the articular surface, leading to the development of osteoarthritis.
Causes of Articular Cartilage Defects
The damage of the articular cartilage can affect you regardless of your age. It can be damaged by trauma such as accidents, mechanical injury such as a fall or from degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) occurring in older people.
Symptoms of Articular Cartilage Defects
The symptoms of articular cartilage damage include joint pain, swelling, stiffness and a decrease in the range of motion of the knee.
Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects
The damaged cartilage needs to be replaced with healthy cartilage. The procedure is known as cartilage replacement. It is a surgical procedure performed to replace the worn-out cartilage and is usually performed to treat small areas of cartilage damage usually caused by sports or traumatic injuries. It is not indicated for advanced arthritis of the knee.
Cartilage replacement helps relieve pain, restore normal function, and can delay or prevent the onset of arthritis. The goal of cartilage replacement procedures is to stimulate the growth of new hyaline cartilage. Various arthroscopic procedures involved in cartilage replacement include:
- Microfracture
- Drilling
- Abrasion arthroplasty
- Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI)
- Osteochondral autograft transplantation
Other Knee Conditions
- Patellar Instability
- Knee Arthritis
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Knee Pain
- Knee Injury
- Patella Fracture
- Fractures of the Tibia
- ACL Tears
- MCL Tears
- Meniscal Tears
- MCL Sprains
- Meniscal Injuries
- Jumper's Knee
- Runner's Knee
- Multiligament Instability
- Chondromalacia Patella
- Kneecap Bursitis
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Shin Splints
- Unstable Knee
- Goosefoot Bursitis of the Knee
- Knee Sprain
- Knee Infection
- Knee Fracture
- Fractures of the Patella
- Tibial Plateau Fracture
- Periprosthetic Knee Fractures
- Pediatric Tibial Tubercle Fractures
- Patellar Dislocation/Patellofemoral Dislocation
- Ligament Injuries
- Patellofemoral Instability
- Quadriceps Tendon Rupture
- Patellar Tendon Rupture
- Posterolateral Instability
- Knee Angular Deformities
- Knee Sports Injuries
- Patellar Tendinitis
- PCL Injuries
- Articular Cartilage Injury
- Lateral Meniscus Syndrome
- Multiligament Knee Injuries
- Anterior Knee Pain
- Recurrent Patella Dislocation
- Loose Bodies in the Knee
- Medial Meniscus Syndrome
- Patellar Tracking Disorder/Patellar Maltracking
- Pes Anserine Bursitis
- Tibial Eminence Fractures
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease