Articular cartilage defects of the knee: Diagnosis and treatment

Articular cartilage exists on the end of long bones that participate in joints. The cartilage covering provides shock absorption, and a smooth gliding surface which has a low coefficient of friction. Cartilage is manufactured by chondroblasts and these cells decrease in number with age. The cartilage contains mainly water and with the degeneration of the normal structure this water retaining property is lost. There are congenital, traumatic, metabolic, inflammatory and malignant pathologies that result in cartilage loss and with the loss of cartilage osteoarthritis is the consequence. There are cartilage pathologies of unknown origin and they too contribute to chondrolysis. Treatments comprise medications aimed at better production of cartilage and surgically a number of procedures are available. Small lesions can be excised, larger lesions can be removed and the cartilage replaced and the future points in the direction of laboratory cartilage cell culture and then implantation and tissue fixation. When the cartilage is extensively damaged the joint can be replaced.