What is cartilage?
Cartilage is a semi-rigid tissue whose function is to provide support to some structures and organs. It is considered a connective tissue that covers the bony surfaces that form part of the joints.
The firmness of the tissue allows it to resist mechanical stress with greater flexibility than bone.
Articular cartilage is made up of:
- Collagen fibers
- Chondrocytes
- Proteoglycans
When the cartilage is injured we detect various symptoms, such as intense pain when playing sports or going up or down stairs, crunching sounds, joint pain, among others.
Function of cartilage
The main function of cartilage is to distribute and support the loads that can be transmitted between surfaces. In this way, the cartilage provides a smooth sliding movement, with practically no friction, protecting the bones and preventing them from rubbing against each other.
Cartilage also gives shape and support to various parts of the body, such as the nose, ears or trachea.
Cartilage injuries are frequent in athletes.
Pathologies that cartilage can suffer
Cartilage injuries are very common, it can also be damaged or inflamed. These problems can cause symptoms such as pain or limitation of movement. It can also lead to joint damage and deformity.
Some of the cartilage pathologies are:
- Ruptures and injuries, usually from sports injuries.
- Genetic factors.
- Other diseases, for example, arthritis.
To prevent these injuries it is important to control some risk factors. We must have an adequate body weight, since in this way we reduce the load on the cartilage. Regular and moderate physical exercise also helps to control our weight and to promote the nutrition of the cartilage, thanks to the movement and stimulation of the load.
Treatments for cartilage pathologies
Cartilage is incapable of regenerating itself. The treatment performed on cartilage lesions must be adapted to the characteristics that both the lesion and the patient present: age, size of the lesion, depth, activity level, etc.
We can distinguish several treatments:
- Cartilage transplantation: serves to replace damaged areas in the cartilage and is performed in cases of ankle and knee cartilage damage.
- Mesenchymal cell injection: the aim is to regenerate and repair the cartilage. It is performed by injecting mesenchymal stem cells with or without growth factors.
- Growth factors: these stimulate the area of the joint injury favoring an internal and natural regeneration.
- Knee microfracture surgery: used to repair damaged cartilage.
Specialist who treat cartilage pathologies
Cartilage can be treated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, depending on the affected area, the characteristics of the injury and the patient. Specialists in Physiotherapy, Traumatology or Rheumatology may be involved in the treatment.