Articular cartilage injuries of the knee: evaluation and treatment options

Articular cartilage defects of the knee can be very debilitating, and diagnosis can be difficult because the symptoms are often nonspecific. Routine MRI scans, despite vast improvement in detection techniques, are often not sensitive or specific enough, especially for low-grade lesions. Therefore, articular cartilage injuries of the knee are often a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a thorough history, a good physical exam, and a high index of suspicion. Treatment of these injuries is still evolving, but new treatment options, including autogenous chondrocyte implantation, look promising, and long-term outcomes, while not yet complete, look encouraging.