What Can I Do About Damaged Cartilage?

Articular cartilage plays an important role in joint activity, and its structure is fine and scientific. According to the different fibrous components contained in cartilage tissue, cartilage can be divided into three types: hyaline cartilage, elastic cartilage and fibrocartilage (mainly distributed between the lumbar spine).

Cartilage wear

Right!

Articular cartilage plays an important role in joint activity, and its structure is fine and scientific. According to the different fibrous components contained in cartilage tissue, cartilage can be divided into three types: hyaline cartilage, elastic cartilage and fibrocartilage (mainly distributed between the lumbar spine).

Chinese name

Cartilage wear

Types of

Illness

Lead

Joint fibrosis, weakened elasticity

Recover

Hot compress, massage, electrotherapy, etc.

The articular cartilage surface is smooth, pale blue, and shiny. Cartilage tissue is composed of chondrocytes, stroma and fibers. The chondrocytes gradually change from flat to oval or round from shallow to deep. These chondrocytes maintain the normal metabolism of articular cartilage. Articular cartilage has no innervation and no blood vessels. Its nutritional components must be obtained from the joint fluid, and its metabolic waste must be discharged into the joint fluid. Therefore, it can be said that the nutrients provided by the joint fluid determine the normal operation of the articular cartilage. Also determines the normal use of human joints.

The main function of articular cartilage is to relieve stress. Under pressure, cartilage is compressed, relieves pressure, and stretches. Similar to the effect of an elastic cushion, it can protect the bones under the cartilage from damage. In addition, the articular cartilage also has a lubricating effect, causing the bone end to slide.

How to cause cartilage wear

This kind of elasticity of young people is strong, and the buffer effect is also good. However, after 30 years of age, human joints have fibrosis, weakened elasticity, and the ability to extend articular cartilage gradually weakens. The ability to restore the original state weakens. In addition, the reduction of joint fluid makes the articular cartilage dry, so when people reach a certain age, the joints Cartilage is susceptible to damage and wear, leading to degenerative arthritis. Meniscals, which are a type of cartilage, are also prone to meniscal fissures under severe impacts and falls, which affects patients' motor function. The fibrocartilage between the lumbar vertebrae is prone to relax and shift, causing the nucleus pulposus to form a lumbar disc herniation.

How to achieve cartilage regeneration

For various joint diseases caused by cartilage wear, damage, and deformation, traditional medicine usually uses pain relief medicines (such as glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, analgesic patches, etc.), as well as heat compresses, massages, and electrotherapy. The problem is that these therapies cannot restore the body's cartilage. For advanced patients, joint surgery can also be used medically. However, in addition to being expensive, joint surgery does not completely eliminate pain. In addition, artificial joints are "something outside of the body", with limited movement, prone to dislocations, accidental injuries and other accidents after impact, and they will be operated after a few years.

At present, the most common methods adopted by the medical profession for cartilage wear and cartilage degradation are as follows:

[Various painkillers, plasters]

Through the chemical action of drugs, it suppresses arthritis and temporarily relieves pain. This method has a faster analgesic effect and is suitable for the onset and acute phases. However, the internal structure of the joint cannot be solved, and the condition is repeated. And most patients will find that after long-term use, the drug effect gradually weakens, and the drug effect is great in the later stage of the disease, especially the side effects of hormonal drugs are more intense, leading to various complications such as gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, and cardiovascular disease.

physiotherapy

Physical methods are used to heat, massage, and stimulate the affected part to achieve the effects of promoting blood circulation, reducing pain, and alleviating symptoms, such as common hot compresses, electrotherapy, traction, magnetic therapy, ultrasound, and infrared. Although this kind of method can avoid taking medicine and giving injections, and get relaxed and comfortable in a short time after the operation, the internal structure of the joint is still the same. After stopping the physical therapy, the condition is easy to repeat. In addition, the treatment is delayed and even intensified.

Glucosamine

Can promote the secretion of lubricating fluid in the joint cavity to reduce joint cartilage friction, with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. For the early stage of the disease, the effect is faster when the articular cartilage is not damaged, but for joint diseases where the cartilage has hardened and worn, uneven or deformed, there is no way back.

Sodium Hyaluronate Injection

That is, injecting lubricating oil into the joints to increase joint lubricity and flexibility to reduce pain, but it can not improve the internal structure of the articular cartilage. It must be injected after consumption. Repeatedly, it is prone to dependence and may reduce the body's own secreted joints Fluid capacity, the effect gradually decreases.

[Arthroscopic surgery]

That is, the arthroscope and surgical aids are pierced into the joint through a small wound, or the joint cavity is cleaned, or the rough cartilage surface is ground, or part of the cartilage is removed. The purpose of relieving pain can be achieved in the short term, but the destruction of the joint cartilage weakens the body's inherent cartilage, which affects the body's motor function in the long run.

[Joint replacement]

Replacing your own joints with artificial joints is a last resort. It can eliminate joint discomfort to a large extent and generally maintain basic motor function for about ten years. However, surgery has a greater risk. Its fixation and meshing may be unsatisfactory. Postoperative joint functions are limited, and it is easy to slip and bruise. It also does not completely eliminate pain. For the elderly, the physical burden on the surgery is particularly heavy. Big. Artificial joints generally have a service life of about 10-15 years, and joints still need to be replaced when they expire. In addition, the cost is high and it is not easy for the general public to accept.

From the above comparison, we can clearly see that these common cartilage abrasion and cartilage degradation measures do not achieve cartilage regeneration, on the contrary, some methods even at the cost of further destruction of cartilage in exchange for a moment of peace and tranquility. How to regenerate worn cartilage? For a long time, this has been a subject that the medical community cares about and strives to explore!

Since the end of the last century, the international medical research on cartilage regeneration generally has the following approaches: autograft, allograft, xenograft, ingestion of special cartilage to promote autologous cartilage regeneration, etc.

[Xenotransplantation]

That is, other types of cartilage were transplanted into human articular cartilage, but due to its strong immune rejection and other problems, the research is still in the basic experimental stage.

[Autologous Cartilage Transplantation]

This method is mainly used to transplant cartilage from other parts of the body, or to cultivate cartilage from autologous leukocytes and stem cells to avoid the risk of surgery. However, autologous cartilage transplantation has limited sources, brings secondary trauma to the patient, and increases patient pain. The technology is not mature and its application is limited.

[Allogeneic cartilage transplantation]

Allogeneic cartilage transplantation has a wide range of sources and good biological properties. It is expected to become an ideal cartilage graft, which has achieved certain clinical effects, but it still has immune rejection, disease transmission, transplanted bone cartilage absorption, and joint instability. Problems such as cartilage collapse, which affect the long-term survival of the graft in the body, are issues that cannot be ignored in current research. In addition, this method is highly demanding on patients and is generally not applicable to diffuse degenerative arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.