Articular Cartilage Injury

Injury or damage to the tough cartilage that covers the ends of bones is articular cartilage injury.

Articular cartilage (AC) is very smooth and hard. It is composed of collagen, which is present on a bone's articulating surface (surfaces that come into contact with other bones).It is responsible for smooth interaction between two bones in a joint. Thus, any damage or injury to AC causes disruption in the flexibility of joint movement. It is also extravascular, i.e. it has no direct blood supply. This results in slow healing after the injury.

Symptoms of Articular Cartilage Injury:

• Intermittent pain in the knee joint.
• Swelling in the knee joint.
• There may be 'locking' or 'catching' of the knee due to loose bodies present within the joint.
• There may be audible 'clicks' with knee movements.

Causes of Injury to Articular Cartilage:

Injury can occur to the AC as a solitary condition on its own or the injury may occur in relation with other knee injuries. The anterior cruciate ligament helps in preventing rotation of the knee. Due to this reason, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are usually associated with injury to the medial and lateral surfaces of the femur and tibia. The articulating surfaces of the femur and tibia become injured due to an ACL tear caused by a twisting movement.

Forceful impact on the knee joint, such as a tackle in football or rugby also causes articular cartilage (AC) damage. AC damage is commonly associated with injury to other structures within the joint e.g. ACL and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears, damage to medial and lateral meniscus and dislocation of the patella.

AC damage results in inflammation and pain in the knee joint. It is also known to progress the commencement of osteoarthritis. In case of severe injury to the AC, fractures occur in the bone lying below it. This condition is also known as an Osteochondritis Dissecans or Osteochondral Fracture.

Treatment of Articular Cartilage Injury:

• RICE technique application to minimize the swelling.
• NSAID's such as ibuprofen help in easing pain and swelling.
• Patient should see a sports injury specialist.
• An x-ray or arthroscopy confirms the injury.
• Rest should be taken by the patient.
• Rehabilitation program should be started.
• In case of a fracture (osteochondritis dissecans), surgery is required to fix the broken fragment.
• Other surgical measures involve recruitment of marrow stem cells into the affected area by piercing the subchondral bone in an effort to accelerate recovery of the articular cartilage itself.

Read more article related to knee injury on: https://www.painassist.com/sports-injuries/knee-injuries/