Degenerative arthritis of the knee can be a painful and debilitating problem. Degenerative arthritis frequently occurs among elderly people. It begins with the breakdown of the knee joint's hyaline cartilage. Hyaline cartilage is the tissue that covers the moving surfaces in all of the human body's joints. It is a dynamic and living structure of cells that together provide cushion and low friction to moving bones.
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| Front view with patella removed | Side view with patella |
The breakdown of hyaline cartilage
most often occurs by simply wearing down the cartilage, due to the millions of
cycles that the knee will experience in an adult's lifespan. The cartilage may
also be damaged by a traumatic episode. Hyaline cartilage that has been worn
away or severely damaged will not regenerate. The lack of this hyaline cartilage
results in pain, discomfort and swelling as the femur and tibia bones are in
direct contact. The most common method to achieve relief from this condition is Total
Knee Replacement Surgery.