What is cartilage repair?
Cartilage is a smooth covering on the ends of bones that provides cushioning for your joints, smooth movements, and shock absorption. Because of aging, overuse, or arthritis, cartilage can become damaged and leave your bones unprotected.
Cartilage repair at OasisMD involves using advanced procedures to repair or replace cartilage in knee, ankle, or shoulder joints.
What are the symptoms of cartilage damage?
If you have damaged cartilage, you might experience one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
- Joint stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Chronic pain
- Joint swelling
Your injury might result from a sports injury, repetitive use of your knee, ankle, or shoulder joint, a congenital abnormality, hormonal disorders, or arthritis.
How are cartilage injuries diagnosed?
To determine if you have cartilage damage, Dr. Chao reviews your symptoms and medical history and examines your painful joint. The medical team uses advanced imaging, such as an MRI, to determine the type and severity of your injury.
What are the types of cartilage repair?
Dr. Chao might recommend one or more of the following options for cartilage repair, as ligaments and cartilage do not heal on their own:
Injections
Dr. Chao may use injections to ease joint pain and reduce inflammation caused by an injury.
Regenerative medicine
Stem cell treatment for cartilage repair is a revolutionary procedure that stimulates new cartilage growth. Dr. Chao injects stem cells into injured areas to accelerate healing without surgery.
PRP
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses platelets from your own blood to accelerate healing naturally. Your doctor injects PRP into an injured area after spinning a sample of your blood in a centrifuge and isolating its platelets.
Rehabilitation
A physical therapist helps you strengthen muscles surrounding a joint to stabilize it and reduce chronic pain.
Surgery
If conservative treatments fail or your injury is severe, an orthopedic specialist may recommend surgical options to help you make a full recovery.
The medical team removes damaged cartilage, drills tiny holes in the bone to stimulate cartilage growth, or transplants healthy cartilage grafts into injured areas to replace damaged tissue.
Don’t live with long-lasting pain associated with worn-down cartilage when you don’t have to. Schedule an appointment with the orthopedic specialists at OasisMD by phone or online today.
