People with a total loss of knee cartilage can benefit fromjoint injections.
This article discusses treatments for cartilage loss in the knee.
It also covers complications and how to prevent mild knee osteoarthritis from progressing into total cartilage loss.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Can you rebuild cartilage in your knee?
Your knee doesn’t have the ability to regenerate lost cartilage on its own.
These include weight loss, braces, exercise, over-the-counter medications, and other conservative treatments.
Do not do these exercises if you are experiencing a flare-up of pain.
If you experience pain while doing exercise, stop.
If your knee hurts after exercise, apply ice to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Anunloader knee bracestabilizes the knee to limit side-to-side movement while allowing the knee to bend and extend without limitation.
Knee braces are strongly recommended for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis to help decrease pain and improve function.
The muscles surrounding the knee help support the knee joint.
Glucosamineandchondroitincan help repair damaged cartilage in the joint and prevent enzymes from further breaking down cartilage.
Options include corticosteroids,hyaluronicacid, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
Combination intra-articular injections can also be effective for people who have lost knee cartilage.
They are the most commonly used pop in of knee injections for treating knee pain from osteoarthritis.
You are typically not allowed to receive more than two or three injections per year.
Over time, hyaluronic acid levels in the joints decrease, especially as the joints wear down with osteoarthritis.
With viscosupplementation, you may receive between one and five injections during a treatment course.
There is some evidence that different types of HA may work differently in the body.
For example, high molecular weight HA is thicker than low molecular weight HA.
Studies have found that high molecular weight HA may be better at reducing pain than low molecular weight HA.
Hyaluronic acid injections may be repeated about every six months.
The injectable is a non-degradable substance, meaning the body does not break it down.
These growth factors ease pain by reducing the effect of inflammation at the cellular level.
The first step in PRP injections is having your blood drawn.
The whole blood is then spun in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from red and white blood cells.
This produces concentrated blood platelets that are injected into the joint in two or three places.
Initially, you will likely need a series of injections every two weeks.
Once the therapeutic effect is reached, the results can last up to a year.
PRP therapy is sometimes combined with gel injections with promising results.
Surgery
If more conservative treatments do not bring relief, surgery may be needed.
Here is a look at surgical procedures used to treat damaged or missing cartilage.
Fibrocartilage is denser and not able to withstand the same force demands as hyaline cartilage.
These can change the appearance of the joint and limit mobility by restricting movement.
Bone spurs are also common with subchondral bone sclerosis in addition to the subchondral bone thickening.
Eventually, you may have no cartilage left in your knee.
When this happens, you may need advanced treatment options such as joint injections or surgery.
Cartilage loss in the knee can lead to complications like bone spurs, cysts, and lesions.
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