Cartilage Restoration
Healthy cartilage is smooth, white tissue found on the surface of bones inside a joint. It has very important functions, such as allowing the joint to function easily and painlessly, as well as cushioning the bones in the joint. Cartilage bears a tremendous strain from daily joint use.
Your joint cartilage can become damaged by normal wear and tear (especially because it has reduced blood supply) or after an injury. You may notice catching or locking of your joint if the cartilage becomes damaged or deteriorated, causing pain and immobility with movement. While a cartilage injury may seem like a minor thing, if left untreated, it may progress to serious conditions, like severe arthritis, that may require surgery.
Fortunately, Upstate Orthopedics has got you covered. We provide expert healthcare services to orthopedic (musculoskeletal) patients, including treatment for cartilage damage.
What is Cartilage Restoration?
Cartilage restoration, as the name suggests, is a procedure in which our doctors try to repair damaged cartilage. It is an early treatment that can delay or prevent the need for joint replacement surgery in certain patients. A surgical technique is used to stimulate growth of new, healthy cartilage tissue by creating a new blood supply inside the joint and providing a fresh extracellular matrix.
Typical candidates for cartilage restoration are too young for a joint replacement surgery yet have symptoms of joint pain and cartilage damage in their knee, shoulder, or ankle. Cartilage restoration can help you get the best of your joints and enjoy an active lifestyle.
Cartilage restoration can be an effective treatment for:
- Knee pain
- Meniscus or ligament tears
- Osteoarthritis
- Shoulder pain
- Ankle pain
- And more
At Upstate Orthopedics, you can talk to an expert about repairing damaged cartilage without major surgery. After listening to your concerns and evaluating your pain, the doctor will determine if you are a good candidate for cartilage restoration. Surgeons at Upstate Orthopedics are experienced and have tremendous skills that are required to diagnose and treat cartilage damage.
Cartilage Restoration Procedures
Cartilage surgery is done arthroscopically on all major joints – shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot, and ankle – with the knee, shoulder, and ankle being the most common. Arthroscopic procedures are minimally invasive, which means the surgeon won’t make a large incision to operate on a joint. The surgery is safer, quicker, less painful, and requires less downtime than traditional surgery. Recovery from a minimally invasive surgery is quicker, too.
Common procedures used to stimulate new growth of cartilage include microfracture, drilling, and abrasion arthroplasty. Having severe cartilage damage can be debilitating and may require different therapeutic approaches like artificial cartilage implant or transplant of healthy cartilage tissue.
If there are other problems inside the joint, like a torn meniscus, ligament, or tendon, the surgeons usually simultaneously repair the damage and stimulate cartilage regeneration.
If you want to know more about cartilage health and diseases along with how we manage them, call Upstate Orthopedics in Syracuse, New York, now! Call (315) 464-4472 to speak with an expert or schedule an appointment today!
