Answers About Cartilage Injury Treatments In Bucks County
If you or someone you love has experienced an injury to the cartilage of the knee, you probably have questions about your injury and the treatment options that are available to you. At
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, we believe that better understanding your injury and options is an important step on the path to recovery. So, our orthopaedic experts want to offer you some important answers about cartilage injuries and
cartilage injury treatments in Bucks County. How Do I Know I Need Cartilage Injury Treatment? The first step toward understanding your cartilage injury is to recognize the symptoms. For an injury to the knee joint, common symptoms include: Swelling Pain when bending the knee The sensation of locking or clicking may also indicate that there are loose bodies in the knee If you experience an injury to the knee that results in the symptoms above, it is important to make an appointment with an orthopaedic specialist. Your doctor will typically begin by reviewing your symptoms and performing a physical examination. An x-ray may be used to determine whether or not the bone is damaged. However, an MRI is often considered most effective for diagnosing a cartilage injury. In cases in which the extent of the injury is still unclear after the MRI, an arthroscopic procedure may be used to get a clearer picture of the injury. What Are My Treatment Options For Cartilage Injuries? Cartilage injuries do not typically heal well on their own, due to their lack of nerves and direct blood flow. The good news, however, is that there are a number of effective options for cartilage injury treatments in Bucks County. Although new cartilage cannot grow to take the place of the injured parts, scar tissue may still appear after an injury. In these cases, arthroscopy is often considered a promising option to smooth out the cartilage, reducing pain and improving the joint’s function. Transplants are another promising option. The new cartilage may be taken from an uninjured part of the knee and placed in the affected joint. In other cases, though, some normal cartilage cells may be removed, reproduced in a lab, and then later re-implanted in the affected areas to promote the growth of new cartilage. In cases where the cartilage has become detached from the joint, it is sometimes possible to put the piece back into its original place. However, this depends upon how quickly the injury is diagnosed and treated. More commonly, the loose element would simply be removed through an arthroscopic procedure. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute
