- Spectrum of disease entities, from single focal defects to advanced degenerative disease of articular cartilage
- Cartilage injuries have limited spontaneous healing and propensity to worsen over time
- complain of effusion, motion deficits, mechanical symptoms (e.g., catching, instability)
- Outerbridge Arthroscopic Grading System
- Visco supplementatoin, corticosteroid injections, unloader brace can be tried as first line of management
- Active patients where full-thickness lesions expose underlying subchondral bone, symptomatic patients require surgical management
- Surgical options include microfracture, OATS, ACI and MACI