Chondropathy

Chondromalacia is in medicine the generic term for pathological changes in the articular cartilage. Such changes can be caused by a variety of causes, so for example, ( post-) traumatic, degenerative or inflammatory be limited.

Diagnosis

For a diagnosis to MRI, the diagnostic arthroscopy, as well as typical changes in conventional radiographs of joints used.

Arthroscopic following form of division is used:

• Grade 0 ( normal) healthy cartilage
• Grade 1: the cartilage has a soft spot or bubbles
• Grade 2: minor tears in the cartilage visible
• Grade 3: damage ( lesions) have deep crevices left ( about 50% of the cartilage layer)
• Grade 4: the cartilage plan shows the underlying ( subchondral ) bone

Importance to the size and location of each defect. For example, defects that are smaller than 2 cm2 considered small. The extent of a chondromalacia accompanying pain usually correlates not with the extent of articular cartilage damage.

Consequences of cartilage damage

Since cartilage is devoid of nerves and blood vessels, flat damage often do not trigger pain. If the damage increases and the cartilage defect reaches the subchondral bone, the blood supply to the healing process begins in the bone in the defect. Scar tissue, which is composed of a cartilage type called fibrocartilage, is then formed.

Cartilage lesions have a very low capacity for self- healing, so that small articular cartilage defects can progress untreated over time. An articular cartilage defect, which perhaps is small at the beginning, still has the potential to have a physical and chemical "domino effect" on the surrounding "normal" articular cartilage.

(→ For the treatment of articular cartilage damage, see # osteoarthritis treatment)