The knee is the largest joint in the body, and the joint most likely to be affected by arthritis.
Arthritis is the breakdown of articular cartilage. Once the cartilage is injured, it begins to peel away from the bone. Many things can injure cartilage and predispose it to arthritis. In most cases, however, it is due to an injury.
The bulk of arthritis is osteoarthritis, affecting approximately 70 percent of adults. It is commonly referred to as “wear and tear arthritis.” Osteoarthritis can be treated early, preventing or delaying progression. In the knee, most arthritis comes from damage by direct trauma to the cartilage, a ligament or meniscus.
New techniques to repair cartilage
In the past, once the cartilage was damaged, the main focus of treatment was to prevent symptoms such as swelling and pain. The goal was to delay the need for surgery as long as possible. Now, we have new options to repair cartilage by regenerating it. One technique for this is taking good cartilage from part of the knee that holds less weight and transplanting it into the damaged area.
After surgery, patients keep weight off of the knee for six weeks and then progress back to normal activity with no sports for three months. Most of these procedures work very well, with 80 to 90 percent success through five years. I have had patients who are now twelve years from their original procedure and are still able to teach spinning classes in local health clubs. This procedure is very cost effective and the least invasive option currently available. Its limitation, however, is that it cannot be used underneath the kneecap.
