Articular Cartilage lesions

The ankle is a joint composed of three different bones, the tibia, the fibula, and the talus. The lower parts of the tibia and fibula articulate together to form the “ankle mortice”, a structure that contains the talus and allows joint stability and mobility. Articular cartilage lesion is a term that describes an injury reported to the cartilage that covers the joint surfaces of the ankle joint, including the surfaces of the tibia, fibula and talus. These injuries are typically classified based on their location (e.g.: talus, tibia, fibula), size, shape, depth, number of affected sites, and severity of the condition (four-level classification). Cartilage damages reported in weight-bearing joints (e.g.: knee, hip, and ankle), which are usually under constant stress, have unfortunately limited intrinsic healing capacity and the management of these conditions can be challenging if not diagnosed and treated from the early stages. Typically, these injuries are the consequence of a direct trauma, either a single high-energy impact, or due to progressive and repetitive hits to the joint surface. Symptoms can widely vary between individuals from being completely asymptomatic to high levels of pain, stiffness, decreased mobility, potential joint blockage (depending on the presence of structures that can interfere with the joint movements, such as the presence of loose bodies), and limited function. Pain and swelling are usually linked to the physical activity performed by the patient, where an excess or a complete lack of that, can lead to increased symptomatology. Depending on the specifics of the injury and the patient’s reported symptoms, cartilage injuries can be treated conservatively or surgically.