Cartilage Preservation
The knee joint is formed by Femur (thigh bone), tibia (leg bone) and patella. Damage to the joint is called arthritis and is caused by Obesity, Meniscus tears, Malalignment ('bow-leg') deformity overloading one compartment, instability (ligament tears) and rheumatological disorders.
Treatment & Care Details
The Knee Joint
Treatment DetailsThe knee joint is formed by Femur (thigh bone), tibia (leg bone) and patella. Damage to the joint is called arthritis and is caused by Obesity, Meniscus tears, Malalignment ('bow-leg') deformity overloading one compartment, instability (ligament tears) and rheumatological disorders.
Meniscus Root Tears
Treatment DetailsRoot tear refers to detachment of meniscus from its bony attachment. It is a devastating injury as the meniscus is pushed out of the joint and shock absorption is completely lost. This results in overloading of the inner compartment leading to accelerated wear and tear (arthritis). The meniscus has very poor blood supply – only in its rim. Tears in the healing zone are repaired with a variety of techniques.
Malalignment
Treatment DetailsFaulty knee alignment (bow-leg or knock-knee) overloads one compartment, resulting in cartilage injury, meniscus tears and joint space narrowing. As the joint space reduces, the alignment also worsens leading to a vicious cycle of joint destruction and deformity. Fortunately correction of the alignment at an early stage can restore knee function and postpone joint replacement.
HTO – High Tibial Osteotomy
Treatment DetailsHTO is a procedure to correct the alignment and redistribute the load to the non-involved compartment. Arthroscopy is performed to assess the status of the joint and to treat meniscal tears, loose bodies, and cartilage tears. The osteotomy is fixed with strong PEEK or titanium plates to allow early movements and weight-bearing. HTO can postpone the need for knee replacement for many years.
Cartilage Injury & Repair
Treatment DetailsKnee joint surface is covered by Hyaline Cartilage, which is responsible for smooth and frictionless movements. When injured it does not heal due to lack of blood supply. Repair techniques include MICROFRACTURE suitable for small lesions, OATS (cartilage plug transfers), and Cell based techniques using concentrated stem cells from bone marrow (BMAC) or patient's own cartilage cells (ACI) grown in a lab.
Treatment Options
Treatment DetailsFocal cartilage defects are treated with variety of techniques. Small defects are treated with Microfracture – marrow stimulating techniques. Large defects are treated with cartilage plug transfers (OATS, mosaicplasty), ACI (cartilage cell culture & repair) and single stage BMA cartilage. Diffuse cartilage wear may need HTO in early stage or TKR in advanced stage.
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