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Cartilage damage

Cartilage is a smooth, connecting tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. It enables your joints to support your weight when you bend, stretch, walk and run.  It is the body’s natural shock absorber.

There are three different types of cartilage in the body:

  • Articular cartilage covers the surfaces of your joints and is sometimes called hyaline cartilage.
  • Fibrocartilage is found around joints such as your knees and hips, and in your spine.
  • Elastic cartilage forms your outer ear and part of your larynx (voicebox).

Wear and tear damage is a common cause of cartilage injuries. Wear and tear damage occurs when the same area of cartilage is in constant use, or when a person takes part in regular high impact sports. Excessive wear and tear can lead to more serious conditions such as osteoporosis, when the bones become weaker and break more easily.

One of the most common cartilage injuries is damage to the fibrocartilage in the knee joint. This can happen when the knee is twisted during sports activities. It causes swelling and pain, and if the cartilage tears, a loose flap of tissue may get caught in the joint and can restrict movement.

Cauliflower ear is another cartilage condition that often results from sports injuries. Blows to the side of the head cause the blood supply to the ear cartilage to be cut off. The cartilage dies and curls up, causing the lumpy appearance of the ear.

Chondromalacia is another common form of cartilage damage.  This condition describes the softening of the cartilage that lines the back of the kneecap.  Chondromalacia causes pain behind the knee, which gets worse when bending, stretching or putting excess pressure on the knee joint.  You may also feel, and even hear, a grinding sensation in the knee. It is common in teenagers, because the knees have to cope with extra pressure during growth spurts. It can also be caused by sporting injuries. 

Costochondritis is swelling of the cartilage of the ribs, particularly the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone. It is often caused by an injury to the breastbone or a viral infection that causes the cartilage to become inflamed.

Cartilage damage can also occur as part of other rare conditions such as osteochondritis dissecans (where loss of blood supply causes a piece of bone and cartilage to separate from the bone) and relapsing polychondritis (which causes swelling of the cartilage in the ear).