Cartilage Tears
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Articular cartilage is a substance that covers the ends of many of your bones. It cushions them during movement and provides a smooth surface for the bones in a joint to glide on. The meniscal cartilages in the knee differ from articular cartilage, and function as stabilizers and shock absorbers. Injury or certain medical conditions can cause the meniscal cartilage to tear.
Cartilage tears cause joint pain, swelling, locking, giving way, and loss of function. Arthroscopic surgery is commonly used to treat cartilage tears. Arthroscopic surgery is associated with relatively minimal pain and short recovery periods.
Read more about Cartilage Tears
Introduction
Articular cartilage is a substance that covers the ends of many of your bones. It cushions them during movement and provides a smooth surface for the bones in a joint to glide on. The meniscal cartilages in the knee differ from articular cartilage, and function as stabilizers and shock absorbers. Injury or certain medical conditions can cause the meniscal cartilage to tear.
Cartilage tears cause joint pain, swelling, locking, giving way, and loss of function. Arthroscopic surgery is commonly used to treat cartilage tears. Arthroscopic surgery is associated with relatively minimal pain and short recovery periods.
Anatomy
Cartilage covers the ends of many of your bones. It forms a smooth surface for the bones in a joint to glide on during movement. It acts as a shock absorber to cushion impacts. The menisci are specialized cartilage structures in the knee that aid stability and act as shock absorbers.
Causes
Cartilage in the knee and shoulder is especially vulnerable to tears from injury, particularly during sports. Arthritis can cause the cartilage to wear away. Chondromalacia is a term referring to cartilage softening and deterioration. Obesity puts extra stress on joints and can lead to cartilage tears, especially in the knees. Bone malalignments in the knee can contribute to uneven pressure and cartilage tears.
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Surgery
Recovery
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This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.
The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on April 13th, 2016. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.
