All You Need To Know About Cartilage Damage In The Knee and Its Repair
Your knee is the biggest joint in your body, and every step you take puts a lot of force on it. When you walk stairs, 346 % of your body weight goes through your knee. Your knee joint can take 11 times your body weight when you run. And the force is more potent the more you weigh.
For our knees to be able to handle this much pressure, they must be built uniquely.
As in all joints, the bones are covered with a layer of smooth cartilage that makes movement easy and free of friction. The menisci are two rubbery, half-circle pieces of cartilage in the middle of your knee that help absorbs more shock.
Bursa, tiny sacs filled with fluid, also help cushion your knee joints as you walk or run.
The parts of your knee joint can wear out, tear, or get damaged like any other mechanical structure.
Because of this, your knees hurt. It could be a dull ache or a sharp pain that makes it hard to move. It may come with swelling and a feeling of being out of control. It might make a difference.
Getting a diagnosis is the best thing you can do; the sooner, the better. When that much force is put on a joint every day, it doesn't usually get better on its own. If knee problems are caught early enough, physiotherapy can help with many of them. Even if you have surgery, the sooner you get treated, the less likely you will have long-term effects like osteoarthritis.
Reach out to our team of sports medicine doctors from different fields to get a complete diagnosis and treatment plan for your knee injury. We will work with you to make a plan for your rehabilitation and recovery that fits your needs.
What are the signs that your knee cartilage is getting worn down?
A knee cartilage injury can occur when you could fall or hit someone or something hard. This can hurt the knee and tear the cartilage inside it.
Knee cartilage injuries are often caused by:
A hard hit to the knee, like when you run into an opponent or fall;
A violent twist of the knee;
Repeated hits to the knee joint.
Soccer, football, running, lacrosse, basketball, and skiing are the sports where knee cartilage injuries happen most often.
Some cartilage injuries can also be caused by overuse injuries during adolescence, leading to loose pieces of cartilage in the joint. Osteochondritis dissecans is the name for this.
If a knee cartilage injury isn't given time to heal correctly, it can hurt the area around the knee, including the bones. If you go back to doing things before the cartilage is fully healed, you could worsen the injury and increase the chance that arthritis will form in the joint.
Athletes should be in good physical shape for their sport to lower their risk of getting hurt.
Knee cartilage damage treatments
Knee cartilage injuries are treated in many different ways, depending on the type of cartilage that is hurt, whether the cartilage is torn or just getting old, and the age and health of the patient.
When someone has a severe injury, Doctors Sanjay Sarup tell them to rest, use ice, and take over-the-counter painkillers to reduce swelling. Because cartilage doesn't get blood directly, it can take longer to heal, and some tears may not be able to heal without surgery. Physical therapy and stretching to strengthen the joint muscles can help the person feel more stable and help the person get better.
Surgery on the knee cartilage
Arthroscopic surgery can sometimes be used to fix damaged cartilage and eliminate the pain that comes with it. For knee cartilage replacement, surgery can help the cartilage heal or graft cartilage from another part of the body to the knee.
If the damage to the cartilage is more serious, it may be necessary to do an arthroscopy first and then a more extensive surgery to fix the damage. The healing process after these surgeries is long and can take up to a year. It can take up to 18 months, especially in the patella. Most meniscal tears can be fixed with surgery, usually done arthroscopically. A torn meniscus can be repaired with sutures and small anchors, or a small piece of the cartilage can be shaved off.