Cartilage Regeneration: How it Works

Your knees are the primary joints that facilitate movement while swimming, running, or cycling. Overusing these joints subjects the cartilage (flexible tissue) to injuries or wear and tear. This is one leading cause of mild or chronic knee pain since once the cartilage is damaged, it has no capacity for self-healing, as it does not have a blood supply running through it or any nerve endings. You’ll need an effective procedure like cartilage regeneration to relieve pain and treat your knee or joint condition.

The good news is that due to medical technology advancements, cartilage regeneration is a minimally invasive procedure effective for treating damaged and isolated knee cartilage. It targets the affected areas to help you enjoy your daily activities without surgery. Below is everything you need to know about this treatment:

What is Cartilage Regeneration

This innovative procedure replaces or regresses worn-out or damaged connective tissues. Cartilage regeneration has two options for repairing your cartilage. They include: 

Cartilage Transplantations

Healthy cartilage is grafted into your damaged tissue. Your physician follows these steps when administering it:

• Take healthy cartilage cells from your damaged knee
• Culture the cartilage in a laboratory for around six weeks
• Inject new cells into your damaged joint (they regenerate with surrounding cartilage) 

Microfracture Procedure

The procedure involves creating a network of tiny holes in the bone on the base of your injured articular cartilage. These holes allow sufficient blood to flood the damaged tissues, creating a clot. With time the clot develops into firm tissues (fibrocartilage), which fill up the injured section.

Conditions Treatable by Cartilage Regeneration

Cartilage regeneration is an effective treatment option if you have cartilage injuries. It stimulates the growth of new cartilage to replace the damaged ones, reducing the friction that makes you feel pain. Other conditions the procedure help you with include:

• Chronic joint pain due to the ligament or meniscal tears
• Knee pain
• isolated cartilage
• Shoulder and ankle problems
• Osteoarthritis
• Prevents and delays the onset of arthritis 

Do I Qualify for the Treatment?

You qualify for cartilage regeneration if you’ve been experiencing knee or joint pain for months without any relief. To effectively treat your condition, you should be physically active and under 40 years old. Other qualifying factors are:

• Have damaged knee cartilage due to an accident or repeated use
• Have joint pain resulting from cartilage deficiency
• Have an abnormal knee structure
• Have a hormonal disorder (osteochondritis dessicans) affecting the development of your bones and joints 

What to Expect from the Procedure

This safe procedure has proven to be an effective treatment plan. Cartilage regeneration relieves pain when your knee tissues are worn out or injured. It replaces your articular cartilage that cushions the ending of your knee bones. This prevents the bones from colliding and causing pain. Other things to expect from this treatment option are:

• Stronger muscles around your joints
• Delayed need for joint replacement surgery if your joints are damaged
• Leading a normal life after recovery

Get an Effective Knee-Pain Solution Today!

If you’re experiencing repeated knee pain, it’s time to consider a safe and effective treatment option. Cartilage regeneration treats your underlying joint condition, relieving your pain without surgery.

At Integrative Spine and Sports, we strive to help you manage both mild and chronic pain. We leverage our industry experience to treat musculoskeletal conditions to ensure you lead a healthy, painless journey. Our treatment options are effective, safe, and tailored to your needs. Fill out the form below to get in touch with our expert team.