Cartilage damage: clinical approach

Cartilage damage is a frequent joint affection and may have various etiologies. Degenerative and traumatic lesions are by far prevalent and are not easy to treat due to the characteristics of cartilage tissue, which has poor repair capacity. Nevertheless, clinical management for cartilage damage is based on great therapeutic possibilities that sometimes allow to avoid surgical solutions. Traditional approaches, such as exercise and physiotherapy, are added to new drugs and therapies, such as regenerative medicine, which present increasing evidence of effectiveness.