How is articular cartilage injury treated?
A difficult challenge for orthopaedic surgeons is the treatment of injured joint surface cartilage in the young and active patient. Localized damage to one of the surfaces of the knee joint can lead to degradation and destruction of the opposing healthy joint surface. Total knee replacement is an excellent option in the older patient, but for young active patients who are not candidates for knee replacement we must find a way to get healing of these injured surfaces with healthy hyaline cartilage to avoid longterm problems with degenerative arthritis. Traditional treatments have focused on stimulating the bone at the base of a full thickness cartilage defect by drilling, burring, or microfracturing with a special pick. These treatments cause bleeding and healing with fibrocartilage or “scar cartilage” which is not as resilient as normal hyaline cartilage. These treatments remain the first line of treatment for isolated lesions of articular cartilage in the knee. Autologous Chondrocyte
