What is Knee Cartilage Restoration?
Knee cartilage restoration is a surgical technique to repair damaged articular cartilage in the knee joint by stimulating new growth of cartilage or by transplanting cartilage into areas with defects in order to relieve pain and restore normal function to the knee.
Articular cartilage damage can occur from normal wear and tear of the knee joints, increasing age, injury, or other disease conditions. When cartilage is damaged, it can cause severe pain, inflammation, stiffness, and decreased range of motion of the knee. Because of its avascular nature (absence of blood supply), cartilage cannot repair itself and therefore surgical treatment is usually required to restore cartilage function and prevent progression of the damage into arthritis.
Anatomy of Articular Cartilage
Articular cartilage is the smooth, shiny, white tissue covering the ends of bones that form a joint. Articular cartilage reduces friction when bones glide over each other, making the movements smooth and painless. It also acts as a shock-absorber to help prevent traumatic injuries to the bones.
Indications for Knee Cartilage Restoration
Knee cartilage restoration is indicated for patients with knee cartilage deterioration or damage as a result of:
- Repetitive use of the knee joint
- Trauma or injury
- Hormonal conditions, such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
- Congenital deformities
Surgical Procedures for Knee Cartilage Restoration
Most cartilage restoration procedures can be performed arthroscopically, a minimally invasive surgery that involves making 3 small keyhole incisions around the knee joint using an arthroscope, a small flexible tube with a light and video camera at the end that enables your surgeon to view inside of the joints and perform surgery. In certain cases, open surgery may be required to access the affected area requiring longer incisions. Your surgeon will discuss the best surgical options for you based on your condition.
Usually, recovery from an arthroscopic procedure is much faster with minimal pain than a traditional, open surgery.
Some of the most common procedures for knee cartilage restoration include:
- Microfracture: In this method, numerous holes are created in the injured joint surface using a sharp tool. This procedure stimulates a healing response by creating a new blood supply which results in the growth of new cartilage.
- Drilling: In this method, a drilling instrument is used to create holes in the injured joint surface. Drilling holes creates blood supply and stimulates the growth of new cartilage. Although the method is similar to microfracture, it is less precise, and the heat produced during drilling may damage other tissues.
- Abrasion Arthroplasty: This procedure is similar to drilling, but a high-speed metal-like object is used to remove the damaged cartilage instead of drills or wires.
- Osteochondral Autograft Transplantation: Healthy cartilage tissue (graft) is taken from the bone that bears less weight and is transferred to the injured joint place. This method is used for smaller cartilage defects.
- Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation: A cartilage tissue (graft) is taken from a donor and transplanted to the site of the injury. Allograft technique is recommended if a larger part of the cartilage is damaged.
- Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: In this method, a piece of healthy cartilage from another site is removed using an arthroscopic technique and is cultured in the laboratory. Cultured cells form a larger patch which is then implanted in the damaged part by open surgery.
