Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Your doctor may recommend the RICE regimen—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—to treat a knee cartilage injury. Resting your knee can help reduce the symptoms associated with the injury.
When the articular cartilage is damaged, surgical procedures can effectively repair and restore the tissue. In general, healthy individuals younger than 40 with minor articular cartilage injuries have the best outcomes and often successfully return to pre-injury activities.
Cartilage Regeneration Options
MACI is a surgical procedure that uses cartilage-forming cells from your body to restore damaged cartilage in the knees. It involves a biopsy to harvest chondrocytes (cartilage-forming cells), which are allowed to multiply in a lab, and surgery to implant them into the damaged area.
Typically, you can still walk with knee cartilage damage, but it often becomes painful. Pain will likely increase going up or down stairs.
Most people are able to return to physical activity after six weeks, but it can take three to six months before you can fully recover. Physiotherapy is very important in the recovery period, as building up the muscles and mobility is key to the long-term effectiveness of cartilage repair.
It is also commonly known as a meniscal tear or a torn cartilage. Physiotherapy is an excellent treatment for a knee cartilage injury.
NYU Langone doctors often recommend nonsurgical options as a first-line treatment for a knee cartilage injury. These include anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and injections into the joint, including steroids; hyaluronic acid, also known as synthetic joint fluid; and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
The lesser impact at the knee joint means a lower chance of knee injury, so this is why most research suggests that cycling and swimming are the best exercises for patients with knee problems. Therefore, cycling is a very great exercise for patients with knee osteoarthritis condition.
If it's torn or worn, it can leave the rough bone surfaces exposed – resulting in friction in the joint. Damaged cartilage can potentially lead to knee arthritis, with long-term effects on your knee function.
Walking, cycling, swimming, tai chi, and yoga may all be beneficial. Being physically active boosts the health of cartilage tissue, whether a person has OA or not. Exercise also strengthens the way the body supports the joints. Strengthening the leg muscles is especially beneficial for the knees.
Because cartilage does not have a blood supply, it has limited ability to repair itself. Cartilage regeneration, along with strengthening muscles around the joint, can help some patients delay joint replacement surgery for damaged joints.
THE ROLE OF GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE
Glucosamine supposedly plays a part in the repair and maintenance of joint cartilage, stimulating cartilage cells to produce GAGs and proteoglycans.
Radiographs cannot directly visualize the soft tissue of cartilage but instead are used to identify changes in subchondral bone. It might not be possible to detect secondary bone changes radiographically within a year of injury. MRI and CT can diagnose changes within the cartilage matrix.
While cartilage does not regrow or replace itself, it can be repaired or supplanted by a few different treatment options. Many cartilage injuries can be treated without surgery, via physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication. This is especially true if you have a sedentary to moderately active lifestyle.
While cartilage damage cannot heal on its own, there are various treatment options available. Depending on the degree of your cartilage damage, it is possible to treat your injuries using non-surgical as well as surgical treatments.
Walking. Walking is a low-impact activity that doesn't put too much stress on your knees and can help strengthen the muscles in that area. Start slow and try to work up to a half-hour walk three to five times a week.
Stationary biking can increase the mobility and strength of your knees and legs.
Examples of aerobic exercises that are easy on joints include walking, bicycling, swimming and water aerobics. Try to work up to 150 minutes of somewhat hard aerobic exercise every week. You can exercise 10 minutes at a time if that's easier on your joints.
Cell-based cartilage resurfacing: Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation, or MACI, is a cell-based cartilage resurfacing procedure. For this procedure, some of the patient's cartilage cells are harvested, grown and re-implanted into the area that has damaged cartilage. The technique requires two operations.
Sit on a straight back chair with your feet planted firmly in front. Lift one leg until straight and hold it for three seconds then return it to the floor. Alternate legs as you do one or two sets. As you grow stronger, you can add more repetitions and sets to continue to strengthen the joint.
Dietary supplements: Dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin are the non-surgical treatment options for cartilage restoration. Chrondroitin sulphate and glucosamine are naturally occurring substances in the body that prevent degradation of cartilage and promote formation of new cartilage.
Symptoms of cartilage damage
joint pain – this may continue even when resting and worsen when you put weight on the joint. swelling – this may not develop for a few hours or days. stiffness. a clicking or grinding sensation.
An MRI, which creates images of soft tissues, helps your doctor determine whether you have an acute injury to the knee cartilage.
Walking is a fantastic option for many patients with knee arthritis because it is a low-impact activity that does not put undue stress on the joints. Furthermore, walking can increase the knee's range of motion and keep it from becoming overly stiff.