What is Cartilage?
Cartilage in Youth
When we are young, our bodies have the capacity to withstand various stresses and regenerate, heal, and repair.
A busy day of activity, such as playing sports, may result in joint stress and injury, but, in most cases, our bodies are able to withstand these stresses or naturally repair to avoid pain and subsequent activity limitation.
Cartilage in Adults
As we age, our regenerative capacity and ability to withstand stresses are reduced.
For millions of people around the world, this can lead to joint pain and activity restriction.
Cartilage Injuries
One cause of joint pain is articular cartilage injury, also called a cartilage lesion.
This may occur due to a sudden accidental event, such as a fall, or a chronic condition. Osteoarthritis may also contribute to cartilage lesions.
Unfortunately, there are no existing ways to predict who will have an articular cartilage lesion and joint pain – it can happen to anyone.
Research groups are investigating possible biomarkers for prediction, but these have not yet been proven or widely adopted1. Left untreated, cartilage lesions may ultimately lead to the need for a total joint replacement.
When surgery becomes necessary to treat a cartilage lesion, current options are limited. For example, common first line surgical procedures for knee cartilage lesion repair, such as microfracture and debridement2, have limited long-term efficacy and require substantial post-operative rehabilitation3.
Other procedures, deemed specialty procedures, require a specially-trained orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon. In some cases, the procedure may require two surgeries and/or a long waiting list. Similar to first line procedures, these specialty procedure techniques also rely on the body to regenerate and heal, thus prolonging rehabilitation time and making it harder for people to Be Active, Stay Active™.
Hyalex is committed to addressing the shortcomings of current treatment options and helping everyone to maintain active, healthy lifestyles.