Osteocondral Defects

A concentrated area of damage that affects both the cartilage and a section of underlying bone is referred to as an osteochondral defect. These can result from either an underlying bone condition or an acute traumatic injury to the knee.

The severity of osteochondral defects varies depending on their presence: little discomfort brought on by cartilage injury. Moderate pain and movement issues brought on by bone and cartilage fragments. The loss of cartilage causes bones to grind together and frequently causes excruciating pain. Any joint can develop osteochondral lesions or osteochondritis dessicans, although the knee and ankle are the most frequently affected. One of these lesions is a fracture or tear in the cartilage that covers a joint bone. In rare circumstances, a cyst may develop in the cartilage, which might be ripped, crushed, or otherwise harmed.

If an osteochondral defect is small enough, it may be possible for it to mend. This is thought to be accomplished by drawing nondifferentiated stromal/stem cells from the bone marrow to the damaged area. Chondral defects, on the other hand, have a low inherent healing capacity.