What Is Cartilage Damage?
Articular cartilage can be damaged by trauma, degenerative wear and tear or other specific joint diseases. Causes of articular cartilage damage:- • Trauma, eg fractures into the joint • Degenerative, eg osteoarthritis • Inflammatory, eg rheumatoid arthritis • Others, eg Osteochondritis Dissecans Unfortunately, articular cartilage, once damaged, does not heal itself with new normal tissue, as bone does. The structure of articular cartilage is complex, and it is referred to as ‘hyaline cartilage’. At best, areas of damage or cartilage loss may heal up with what is known as ‘fibrocartilage’, which is half scar tissue and half like cartilage. However, fibrocartilage does not have the same biological or mechanical properties as normal hyaline cartilage. At the extreme end of the spectrum, damaged cartilage may lead to patches of bare bone developing within a joint, with all the usual painful symptoms and signs of arthritis. Surgeons often grade cartilage damage according to varying scoring
