About Articular Cartilage Defects
Articular cartilage is the smooth cartilage surface covering bones in joints contributing to smooth, pain-free motion. This cartilage surface can be damaged through acute trauma or by arthritis. Damage can lead to pain, swelling, or loss of motion. Damaged articular cartilage has a limited ability to heal on its own.
| Cartilage Defect Scale | |
 | Grade 0 Normal healthy cartilage. |
 | Grade 1 The cartilage has a soft spot or blisters. |
 | Grade 2 Minor tears visible in the cartilage. |
 | Grade 3 Lesions have deep crevices (more than 50% of cartilage layer). |
 | Grade 4 The cartilage tear exposes the underlying (subchronal) bone. |
Surgical Treatment
Articular cartilage paste grafting (often abbreviated as art cart or paste grafting) is a minimally-invasive, single arthroscopic procedure to stimulate regrowth of damaged articular cartilage surfaces. The arthritic area of the knee or where there is missing cartilage is morselized by the surgeon to create a fresh blood supply and to bring stem cells to the surface. The paste graft is harvested from the intercondylar notch (non-weightbearing area) of the tibia, crushed into a paste, and impacted into the fractured chondral defect. The result is a repair technique that can provide durable cartilage repair tissue with long-term improvement in function and diminishment of pain.
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Articular cartilage paste grafting (often abbreviated as art cart or paste grafting) is a minimally-invasive, single arthroscopic procedure to stimulate regrowth of damaged articular cartilage surfaces. The arthritic area of the knee or where there is missing cartilage is morselized by the surgeon to create a fresh blood supply and to bring stem cells to the surface. The paste graft is harvested from the intercondylar notch (non-weightbearing area) of the tibia, crushed into a paste, and impacted into the fractured chondral defect. The result is a repair technique that can provide durable cartilage repair tissue with long-term improvement in function and diminishment of pain.
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The Stone Clinic
Building Better Joints Through Advanced Techniques in Cartilage Replacement, Regeneration and Repair
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