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Cartilage damage treatment options?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Dadka
Dadka

Hi all, I have suddenly developed pain in my knees a year ago.

age 38 weight 58kg

used to be very strong and active.

conclusions :

private mri - chondropatio stage 1 -2

nhs- patellofemoral pain syndrome after reading the very same MRI

later nhs - unexplayned bilateral knee pain

after a year new mri - chondromalacia no stage given

private arthroscopy- st.3 chodropatio

This has caused me a lot of mental pain , but also caused me more damage to my cartilage than I had in the beginning.

I was now advised to get course of six Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyalorunic acid injections into my knee to try to help regenerate my remaining cartilage.

HAS anyone had this treatment ?

WOULD YOU RECOMEND THIS TO ME?

I have damage on my knee cup and weight bearing part of my tibia aproximately 20x30 milimitres.

DID ANYONE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM?

HOW LONG DID YOU MANAGE TO DELAY TkR FROM HERE?

nhs only offered steroid injections .

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • aliaa1993
    aliaa1993 Dadka

    Posted

    Hi Dadka

    by saying that it causes you more damage than before, You mean the arthroscopy?!! I too have chondromalicia patella grade 1 but according to the clinical examination, Drs keep telling me nothing is wrong and by exercises it should be resolved on its own. i still suffer till now but have seen one patient who was diagonised by both patellofemeral painand chondromalicia and his pain is resolved by the help of a very good therapist.

    • Dadka
      Dadka aliaa1993

      Posted

      I thought because damaged and cracked cartilage was not cleaned and smoothened earlier when there was only stage 1 -?2 , it caused more cartilage to wear off. But now? I really don't understand, how from no pain no damage I get to stage 3 in a year. ?

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Dadka

    Posted

    1. Steroid injections are short-lived, temporary fixes for pain at best. Never even worked for me. Some people get longer-lasting relief.
    2. The Synvisc injections (hyalorunic acid) were GREAT for many years. The 3-shots-in-2-weeks regimen lasted 11 months every time I had it done. It doesn't work that well for everyone and, again, is a temporary pain fix.
    3. Regrowing the cartilage (in my case, femoral condyle, both knees) was still experimental in 2001-2003, not covered by insurance and not recommended for people over 50. You're a better candidate at 38. Gotta do a lot of research on this before you take the leap. There's a good chance it might work for you and be a more or less semi-permanent solution.
    4. Your kneecap and tibia could be a complicating factors. Only someone experienced in the technique can give you an answer on that...and it will NEVER be a 100% "cure".

    The whole idea is to delay a TKR as long as possible. I had my first of four knee scopes (two each side, meniscus tear and femoral condyle cartilage ripped off) from 2001 through 2005. Then I started the Synvisc. When I moved from New Jersey, USA to Texas in 2010, the new warm climate was so good, I didn't need the shots anymore. But the left knee deteriorated to where I needed the TKR in 2016. So between scoping, Synvisc and a great change in climate, I delayed the TKR by 15 years. Once you are bone on bone with arthritis, there's little choice.

    However, a new FDA-approved technique called Coolief has been shown to be quite effective in dealing with the pain and extending the time before a TKR is absolutely necessary.

    • NYJohn
      NYJohn CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Hi Chico,

      I had a TKR on my right knee in January. My left knee is shot too, but surgeon wouldn't replace both at once. My left has become a little more painful, especially since its been doing all the heavy lifting while the right leg heals. I give you this background because I was sent for an MRI of the left, and the doctor is recommending Cooleve to buy me more time. He explained that they burn the edge of nerves to block the pain, but we didn't go over whether or not it would be a permanent procedure, meaning I'd lose some feeling. Do you know anyone that had the Cooleve procedure, and if so, what they experienced?

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX NYJohn

      Posted

      WOW!!! I just went to see a doc about the Coolief procedure for my back and hip. Can't do my back because he can't get the needles past all the fusion hardware but he will be doing my left hip. Severely twisted it four months ago and absolutely nothing has helped; MRI showed the inflamed gluteus minor where it attaches to the hip trocanter. He said that he's had amazing success with the procedure for lower back, hip and knee pain. It's not an immediate fix. Yes, after the procedure, you get cortisone for the post-op pain but the true relief takes some time as all that inflammation calms down. Same as Synvisc...the good relief takes a few weeks to kick in.

      Have not needed anything for the right knee even though it will eventually need a replacement like the left. When the left got bad over 3 years ago, my ortho surgeon said that neither cortisone nor Synvisc would help...so the TKR was my only choice. Remember that sooner or later, a TKR will be our only choice. The goal is to delay that as long as you can BUT not be in pain. Coolief has gotten some rave reviews so we'll see how it works on my hip. If it works for me and I need the knee done down the road, I'd definitely try that first.

  • Guest
    Guest Dadka

    Posted

    6 is overkill and odd a doctor would suggest that before treatment started. you'll know by the second one if it will work or not.

    • Dadka
      Dadka Guest

      Posted

      thank you. my knee fills with water. so no treatment I THINK.

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