Andrew Lavender
What is Articular Cartilage Damage?
Here there is a hole in the Articular Cartilage (white gristle) on the end of the bone.
Cause?
This is often due to an injury.
Rarely is it due to wear and tear.
Investigations
Mr Lavender will tailor these to your problem, but may include:
- X-rays - of your knee
- Long leg alignment films
- These allow Mr Lavender to see how the weight travels down your leg as you walk
- MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan)
- These usually show where and how big the hole in the articular cartilage is.
- Arthroscopy (Scope / Telescope) of the knee
- Sometimes this is the only way to diagnose and assess the hole.
Options
Mr Lavender will discuss the options with you at your consultation, as every patient has unique circumstances and individual needs.
- Microfracture
- Small holes are made into the bone during an arthroscopy to allow stem cells from inside the bone to fill the hole. These are then stimulated by movement to make new articular cartilage.
- Truefit
- Specially designed and coated plugs inserted into the hole to stimulate new cartilage growth.
- These can only be used if the hole is not very big
- High Tibial Osteotomy
- Break, realign and fix the knee if it is not aligned properly.
Information Sheet
For more information or to gain a better understanding of the condition, download the free PDF below:
To download the Articular Cartilage Damage information sheet, right click on the PDF and choose 'Save Link As...'