What is a knee cartilage lesion?
What is a knee cartilage lesion?
Cartilage allows the bones in your joints to glide so that your joints move smoothly. A lesion is damage to that cartilage tissue. A lesion in your knee cartilage creates friction in the joint, which causes pain. In some cases, a knee cartilage lesion can lead to arthritis.
How do you treat cartilage lesions?
Share on Pinterest Surgery for cartilage damage is generally a last resort. Conservative treatment (non-surgical) – some patients respond well to conservative treatment, which can include special exercises, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and sometimes steroid injections.
What causes lesions on the knee?
Injuries to the articular cartilage in the knee joint are common. These injuries, called lesions, often show up as tears or “pot holes” in the surface of the cartilage. If a tear goes all the way through the cartilage, doctors call it a full-thickness lesion. When this happens, surgery is usually recommended.
What is a patellar cartilage fissure?
A fissure in the cartilage is basically a crack. This crack can be just in the surface tissue, which is common in the kneecap cartilage because it is so thick, or it may extend down to bone.
Can you replace knee cartilage?
Most knee cartilage replacement surgeries are called OATs surgeries—either osteochondral autograft transplantation or osteochondral allograft transplantation surgeries. A third option is called autologous chondrocyte implantation. Osteochondral autograft transplantation uses cartilage from the patient.
How do you treat knee lesions?
Therapy
- Rest. Take rest and limit activities that aggravate the complaints.
- Ice the affected area. Apply ice packs to your knee for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, three to four times a day for several days.
- Use a brace.
- Stretch and strengthen the affected area.
Can worn knee cartilage repair itself?
Injured cartilage typically does not heal on its own, so doctors have developed several surgical techniques that attempt to repair, regenerate, and replace cartilage. These surgeries can be performed on almost any joint, but they are most commonly performed on knees.
