Does knee cartilage grow?

Knee cartilage has a very important role in the human body, and due to its ability to control the movement of the individual naturally, the occurrence of any defect in it will have a clear impact. Follow the following article with us to learn more about how to treat knee cartilage, let’s read the following.

Does knee cartilage grow?

Since the cartilage does not contain blood vessels, the rate of its regeneration is very low because regeneration requires good access to oxygen and nutrients, but it is possible to stimulate the growth of cartilage by performing some operations aimed at repairing it by forcing the bones to form new cartilage.

To stimulate the growth of new cartilage, the surgeon makes very small incisions or rubs the bones that are located under the damaged cartilage, and many other methods can be done to stimulate the growth of new knee cartilage, for example:

Cartilage repair by grafting

The damaged cartilage may be repaired by grafting the affected area, this method is very effective in re-repairing the cartilage and relieving the pain felt by the patient, in addition to the process of rebuilding the cartilage bone through the help of humans, and this is known as allograft reconstruction, and these are among the new and very effective methods in cartilage repair.

Knee arthroplasty

Some cases in which cartilage damage may occur may result in an effect on the knee joint completely, and in that surgery, the doctor completely replaces the surface of the joint with another artificial joint, and this greatly helps in reducing the severity of the pain felt by the individual and the ability to move the knee joint in all directions.

Knee cartilage erosion

The erosion of the knee cartilage is a condition in which the cartilage softens and breaks, and the cartilage in that case loses its ability to protect the bones during the movement of the joint, and this results in severe pain as a result of the friction of the ends of the bones with each other during the movement, and many reasons lead to the occurrence of erosion in the cartilage, including:

• Exposure to a direct blow or collision in the knee area.
• Overuse of the joint for long periods.
• Suffering from obesity and overloading the knee.
• Laziness and lack of any sports activities increase the risk of knee cartilage erosion.

Symptoms of erosion of the knee cartilage

Many symptoms begin to appear on the individual, which indicates cartilage erosion, including:

• The presence of severe pain in the joint does not go away at rest and increases with movement.
• Swelling is accompanied by severe inflammation and heat from the knee.
• A spasm in the joints.
• A sensation of friction in the joint.
• Loss of ability to move the joint freely.

Knee cartilage inflammation

The knee cartilage becomes inflamed when there is an erosion of the cartilage that is present in the knee area, and this results in very severe pain accompanied by stiffness in the affected foot and gets worse over time, and this is more common in the elderly, but it may affect the individual at any stage of his life, and it is better to start receiving appropriate treatment as soon as it is discovered to prevent any complications that may pose a great threat to the health of the individual.

Treatment of erosion of the knee cartilage

The appropriate treatment for cartilage erosion is determined according to the condition that the individual suffers from and the extent of its development, the methods of treating cartilage erosion are as follows:

Pharmaceutical

This is the first way that the doctor prescribes an appropriate treatment for cartilage erosion and pain relief resulting from the intensification of its symptoms, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections.

Natural therapy

• Exercises that are part of the rehabilitation program.
• Hydrophysiotherapy.
• Adhesive rubber tape.
• Do exercises that help balance.

Surgeries

This is considered the last resort to be used in the treatment of erosion of the cartilage of the joint, and this is after making sure that the previous methods are not effective in any way in treating the problem, and the anesthesia in that process is complete, whether it is in arthroscopy or surgery, and examples of these operations are:

• Debridement: In this process, the soft tissues and ligaments in the knee cartilage are removed, and the defect can be repaired directly and permanently.
• Bone marrow stimulation: The doctor works to stimulate the bone marrow by making holes in the bones that are located at the bottom of the joint to stimulate the growth of new cartilage.
• Mosaicloplasty: In this procedure, the doctor takes very small pieces of cartilage in places that bear weight and uses them to repair damaged cartilaginous areas.
• Osteotomy: This re-aligns the leg to relieve pressure on the cartilage and knee by removing a small portion of the femur or tibia.
• Joint replacement: This operation is performed when the condition is late and no other method works with it, in which the knee joint is completely replaced by another artificial one.

Exercises for the treatment of knee cartilage

There are many exercises recommended by doctors because of their great role in the treatment of knee cartilage, but it is preferable to do them under the supervision of a specialist in physiotherapy to prevent any errors, such as:

• Straight leg raises: This exercise works to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, which are located in the front of the thigh, and the position of this exercise does not require much pressure on the knee, to do it, lie on the back on the ground or any equal surface, then bend one knee and place the foot flat on the ground and keep the other leg straight and then raise it to the level of the other foot, repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times.
• Back hamstring exercise: These muscles are located along the back of the thigh, to do it, lie on the abdomen and move the heel of the foot slowly towards the buttocks and stay in this position for a few seconds and it is repeated 15 times, a chair can be used in this exercise to help on balance.
• Wall squat: stand on the floor with your back against the wall and feet shoulder-width apart, then slowly bend the knees while keeping the back and pelvis against the wall, hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds and be careful not to over-bend, if you notice pressure on the knee, change your position immediately, do this exercise more than once, and make sure to sit for a long time each time.
• Calf exercises: Get support from a chair, sofa, or wall, and this can also be done on the stairs with the help of the handrail and hanging the heels on the edge of the stairs, slowly raise the heels according to your ability and then lower it again, repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times.