Cartilage lesions

Articular cartilage injury is a term that describes a reported injury to the cartilage covering the articular surfaces of the knee joint, including the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints (see the section on patellofemoral pain syndrome for more information on other causes and sources of pain of this specific joint). These injuries are usually classified according to their location (e.g., tibia, femur, patella), size, shape, depth, number of sites affected, and severity of the condition (four-level classification).
Cartilage injuries unfortunately have a limited inherent healing capacity, and management of these conditions can be difficult if not diagnosed and treated early on.
Typically, these injuries are the result of trauma that can be caused by a single high-energy impact, or several repetitive impacts to the articular surface.
Axial misalignment of the knee joint can facilitate the development of this condition because it leads to local overloading of a specific area.
Symptoms can vary widely among individuals, from being completely asymptomatic to reaching high levels of pain, stiffness, reduced mobility, and limited function (e.g., limited participation in sports, activities of daily living, etc.).
Pain and swelling are usually related to the physical activity performed by the patient, where an excess or complete lack thereof can lead to increased symptomatology.
Depending on the specifics of the injury and the symptoms reported by the patient, cartilage injuries can be treated conservatively or surgically.

Non-surgical management

Conservative treatment should be implemented as the primary treatment because although rehabilitation cannot alter the natural course of the disease and the damaged structures, it can modify the symptoms by modifying the aggravating factors of the condition.
The goal of nonsurgical management is to slow the advancement of the condition and limit symptoms with a multitude of interventions such as rehabilitation, use of drugs, injections, etc. In our opinion, while medications can limit symptoms in the short term, improving mobility, strength, and quality of movement will allow you a greater likelihood of positive long-term outcomes.
Therefore, our recommendation is to implement a holistic approach that includes a medically guided rehabilitation pathway.
At isokinetic, after being seen by one of our trained physicians, based on your diagnosis (including specific injury classification, location, etc.), you will receive a treatment plan tailored to you.
You will begin your recovery plan with our medical team with the goal of limiting your symptoms by increasing your mobility in the pool and gym, improving your strength in our gym, optimizing the quality of your movement in the movement analysis room, and returning to your activity and sport after completing our field rehabilitation.

Surgical management

Some individuals with an advanced condition, or who have not responded to nonsurgical management, may be potential candidates for a surgical approach.
In these cases, when surgical procedure is deemed necessary, our excellent relationships with orthopedic surgeons will enable us to refer you promptly to them for surgical advice.
Various procedures (such as cartilage shaving, microfractures, autologous osteochondral grafts, etc.) can be implemented during surgery and are always discussed in detail with patients and the medical-surgical team.
Post-surgical rehabilitation will vary widely depending on the surgical technique used.
The period following surgery is particularly delicate because of the biological healing process of the joint surface, which makes the joint vulnerable to mechanical stimuli.
At Isokinetic, thanks to the expertise of our medical team, you will be followed in detail to ensure safe and effective progression and optimize your short- and long-term results.

Cartilage lesions

CARTILAGE LESIONS

Non-surgical management

Surgical management

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