تلف الغضروف

Pain — with activity, localised to one part of the knee. Swelling — that comes and goes, especially after exercise. Catching or clicking — if a loose fragment moves within the joint. A sense of the knee “giving way” — or not feeling secure.

A traumatic twist or direct impact during sport. Associated ligament injuries, such as an ACL tear. Repetitive high-impact loading over time. Malalignment that concentrates load on one area.

Because cartilage does not show on a plain X-ray, an MRI is central to diagnosis — it maps the size, depth and location of the defect and the state of the bone beneath. Sometimes the full extent is only confirmed at arthroscopy, when the surface can be seen and probed directly.

The approach depends on the size and depth of the defect, your age and activity, and the overall health of the joint. Conservative care: Small, stable lesions are often managed with activity modification, strengthening and, in selected cases, injections. Microfracture: Tiny holes in the bone recruit the body’s own repair cells to form new fibrocartilage over a small defect. Cartilage transfer: Healthy cartilage-and-bone plugs are moved to resurface the defect (OATS), restoring a true gliding surface. Cell regeneration: For larger defects, cultured cartilage cells (ACI/MACI) are implanted to grow new tissue tailored to the area.

Cartilage procedures demand patience: the new tissue must mature and bond before it is loaded, so recovery is protected and gradual — typically several months, with a staged return to impact. The reward is a joint surface that is preserved, and the early treatment of damage that would otherwise progress.