Cartilage, the protective surface that covers the ends of our bones, helps our joints move smoothly without pain. Cartilage may become damaged with age, wear and tear, or injury. This wearing away of the cartilage surface and the associated symptoms of pain, stiffness and swelling is known as arthritis. In the knee, there are also two menisci (a medial and lateral meniscus) that help to support and distribute forces along the cartilage surfaces. These menisci also can develop tears and become damaged with age, wear and tear, or injury.
Currently, there are limited options to address the onset of arthritis. Arthroscopic procedures can clean up the torn, worn out edges of the cartilage and meniscus. Arthroplasty involves removing the degenerated ends of bones and replacing them with metal and plastic prosthetic implants. Neither of these procedures is able to restore the joint surfaces to their original state. However, some complicated procedures are now available to help restore (not make normal) the cartilage surface for patients with certain patterns of wear or cartilage injury.
