42Race-Raffles Shield Running Clinic
September 2, 2019
My foot is flat. Is that a problem?
September 4, 2019Cartilage damage in the knee and ankle – am I destined for Arthritis?
Cartilage damage is a prevalent type of injury which can affect different joints in the body, for example the hands, feet, elbows, wrists, knees or ankles.
Cartilage is a tough, flexible connective tissue found throughout the body. It is a delicate and rubber-like tissue which is relatively easy to damage. Its primary purpose is to cover and protect the surface of the joints and act as an absorber of pressure and shock when they are being stressed or moved.Most people with cartilage damage experiences serious pain in the joints, stiffness in the joint, and inflammation or swelling.
Symptoms of Cartilage Damage
These are the signs you will experience if you damage the cartilage in a joint:
- Inflammation / swelling – the affected part swells, and it gets warmer than other parts of the body. The area is often sore and very painful.
- Joint pain – you tend to feel pain when resting and it gets worse when you put weight or stress the joint.
- Stiffness
- Movement restriction – as the condition of the joint worsens, the limb affected will not be able to move quickly and freely.
- Joint locking
- Itching, clicking, or grinding sensation.
The most common joints to experience wear-and tear arthritis ( osteoarthritis ) are lower limb weight bearing joints, such as the knee and the ankle. Although, other joints in the body like the hip joint, shoulder joint, elbow joint, and wrist joint are also just as likely to get affected. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate a cartilage injury from other common injuries like sprains or strains because they have similar symptoms.
Causes of Knee and Ankle Cartilage Damage
You can get your knee and ankle damaged in several ways. It might be as a result of wear and tear or more commonly triggered by some kind of trauma. Some examples of occurrences that can affect your knee and ankle cartilage are as follows
- Impact or direct blow – you can get your cartilage damaged if your joint receives a heavy impact as a result of a fall or accident. A dent or defamation to your cartilage is imminent when this happens.
- Meniscus wear and tear – repetitive twisting whilst loading the joint is a typical reason for the meniscus getting damaged. This could be commoner in those with a degree of joint ligament laxity, a pre-existing meniscal injury or simply have a preference for frequent and high impact twisting sports.
- Infection – this is when the joint experiences inflammation and pus is generated as a result of a condition called septic arthritis. Septic arthritis damages the cartilage
- Dislocation of the joint – when the joint is affected as a result of an injury, the position of the joint is forced to change afterwards. The episode of dislocation causes a severe shearing force on the smooth cartilage which then gets damaged
- Immobility of the joint – when the joint lacks movement, ligaments and muscles that support the joint typically get weaker. Cartilage health is dependent on regular loading of the joint.
Complications of Knee and Ankle Cartilage Damage
Cartilage damage, left untreated could result in different sorts of complications. Here are some of those complications :
Osteoarthritis – This is a serious form degenerative joint pain that occurs after a long period of articular cartilage damage to the knee or ankle (may also affect other joints in the body like the elbow, wrist, and others).Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis (other form of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis which is an inflammatory arthritis or seronegative arthritis which is an autoimmune phenomenon ) Secondary osteoarthritis happens as a result of wear and tear of the cartilage around the knee and ankle joints. It might eventually cause permanent damage to the knee or ankle and result in deformity
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Severe pain – the knees or ankles might hurt during movement or after movement.
- Stiffness – as a result of inactivity or awakening from sleep, stiffness is experienced oftentimes.
- Flexibility is lost – it might be complicated to move the joint through its full range of mobility.
- Inflammation or Swelling
- Sleep disturbance and Depression
- Tiredness and Loss of Appetite
- Tenderness – this is a sign of discomfort you feel when you press down on the joint. It also involves visible swelling around the joint.
These symptoms are experienced when proper treatment is not effected when cartilage damage occurs to the knee and ankle.
Factors capable of increasing your risk of Osteoarthritis.
Here are some factors that can increase your risk for Osteoarthritis
- Trauma – you are more likely to develop osteoarthritis in a joint if you have had a previous significant injury to that joint, for example a bad ankle sprain or a severe knee twisting injury
- Obesity – an overweight person is far more likely to develop osteoarthritis as the increased weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints.
- Genetics –there is a genetic predisposition to osteoarthritis if it exists in your family background.
- Age – aged people have significant risks of osteoarthritis.
Get Immediate Treatment to Understand and perhaps
Modify your risk of developing arthritis
Whilst it is true that a severe joint injury may result in future osteoarthritis, early diagnosis of this injury and supportive care could alter the natural history of progression to osteoarthritis.
Some important early tips for joint care after an injury :
Self-care treatments
Price Therapy – If the cartilage damage is still an early one, you can adopt the PRICE therapy. PRICE stands for – Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
Protection – the first step is to protect the affected area from getting worse by using a support like a knee brace.
Rest – you rest the affected joint for up to 2 to 3 days. You can also use crutches to rest the joint. Then you can resume light activity after some days of rest.
Ice – you apply ice to the affected area for about 10-25 minutes of the first 2 or 3 days.
Compression – you compress the affected area with a bandage to prevent further damage and swellingthat may arise as a result of movement.
Elevation – ensure a continuous raise of the injured area and support with a soft object like a pillow to prevent further swelling.
Medication : Different kinds of drugs can be taken such as;
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- Analgesics – reduces pain. Examples are; Tylenol, tramadol, and more.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – reduces both pain and inflammation – ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and more.
- Counterirritants – are creams that lessens pain.
Physiotherapy: you can seek the private services of a physiotherapist if you have difficulty if moving the affected joint or the symptoms persists. You will get to learn some physical exercises to strengthen the muscles around your joint.
Surgery : surgical techniques such as;
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- Replacement of cartilage with a healthy one from another joint.
- Replacement of the whole joint with an artificial one. For example, replacing a knee joint or ankle joint.
- Growing of new cartilage by drilling new holes relatively small in a near bone.
