Damaged cartilage typically does not heal on its own merit, so doctors have recently developed several surgical techniques that attempt to repair, regenerate, and replace cartilage.
These surgeries can be performed on almost any joint in the body, but they are mostly performed on knees. They are generally appropriate for people who have specific cartilage injuries rather than widespread cartilage damage, like that found in moderate to severe knee arthritis. But surgery to repair, strengthen or replace damaged joints may not be the only option when knee arthritis treatment is taken into consideration. Research has consistently shown that people who have knee arthritis can greatly benefit from regular, moderate exercise alone.
Medial Meniscus Repair
Your options for medial meniscus tear will depend on a number of factors unique to you and your health needs. PRICE and physical therapy are the most common ways to simply treat the injury though. Being overweight or obese can make joint meniscus repair more difficult, as it places extra strain on some of your joints.
For more severe tears, surgery is the best course of action. The goal of surgery is to preserve the meniscus by repairing or removing the torn part. The procedure is typically done arthroscopically, meaning a small camera is inserted into a tiny incision in the knee.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is an alternative therapy that may help repair body tissues. It’s also known as regenerative injection therapy or proliferation therapy and the process dates back thousands of years according to experts in the field. Dextrose prolotherapy and saline prolotherapy injecting a solution containing irritants — a saline or dextrose solution — into a specific area where damage or injury has occurred.
Your GP, or possibly a physiotherapist, will discuss the benefits you can expect from what is prolotherapy and can give you an exercise plan to follow at home. Improving range of motion and strength is helpful for prolotherapy but physical therapy has a large focus on strengthening.
Prolotherapy is likely to be safe, as long as the practitioner has training and experience in these types of injections.
Prolozone Therapy
Sometimes a combination of therapies for your condition, such as prolozone therapy for example, may be needed to help control your pain. Prolozone is a technique that combines the principles of neural therapy, Prolotherapy, and ozone injection. The result of this combination is nothing short of remarkable in that damaged tissues can be regenerated, and otherwise untreatable pain can be permanently cured.
The easy way of explaining it is restoration of normal coronary flow will restore normal function in the affected region. In other words, it is a localized area of tissue that is trapped in a state of reduced oxygen utilization. Restore oxygen utilization, and the tissue will function normally again. A weight loss program in conjunction with ozone injection should include both diet and exercise.
Healing Process
Your doctor may prescribe pain medicine, elevation and ice packs to aid in pain management. Higher impact activities may need to be avoided for some time and you’ll need to talk with your doctor before returning to your job if it involves physically demanding work. However if you’ve injured your joint and your symptoms are not too severe for example, you’re still able to put weight on and move the joints you can often look after yourself using PRICE therapy. If you’ve had a more complex procedure performed then recovery will take longer of course and may take up to a year.
If a torn meniscus cartilage was found and removed, then you can usually return to your previous athletic activity. However, your doctor should warn you that heavily stressing your knee with part of the meniscus removed may lead to arthritis. If your knee cartilage is severe, you may want to avoid high-impact exercises such as running or step aerobics.
What cartilage replacement procedure is used will depend on the size of the cartilage injury being treated as well as the surgeon’s expertise and recommendation. Each individual is different so consider your options and talk to your doctor.