Cartilage Injuries, mosaicplasty

The layer of cartilage covering joints has high load bearing capacity, is of good quality, has great mechanical absorption capacity but is unable to regenerate. The decay and degeneration in the cartilage is an irreversible process in the background of which there are often accidents, injuries or degenerative alterations, leading to serious joints damage, sometimes even to prosthesis implants.

In several cases of cartilage damage, the surgical method named mosaicplasty is used, which is one of the most frequently applied glass cartilage surface creation methods.

Surgery is carried out within the framework of a minimally invasive procedure. In the course of the exploration of the joints, intervention is performed through minor incisions, by sparing muscles, as a result of which the area affected by surgery heals with less pain and fewer complications, the period of rehabilitation is considerably shortened and the patient can faster resume everyday life.
 

In the course of the procedure, cylinder-shaped pieces are removed from the intact cartilage surface and are implanted into the damaged cartilage surface. The most frequent mosaicplasty is that of the knee joints, while the cartilage deficiencies of the ankle and elbow are also healed with this method sometimes.

Rehabilitation after the surgery has two phases.

• After the operation, the limb having been operated on may be moved but must not be exposed to load, only gradually, based on a customised rehabilitation programme. What is referred to as early rehabilitation after the operation takes places in a hospital environment, under the supervision of a physiotherapist and takes 4-5 days usually.
• This is followed by outpatient rehabilitation, which does not require a hospital stay and takes several weeks. In the case of knee and ankle surgery, the load bearing capacity of the legs is increased by the help of crutches, while muscles are strengthened within the framework of an active, personalised programme. Physiotherapeutic treatment is complemented by physiotherapeutic exercises both in hospital and at home.