Description
In this video presentation, Dr. Andrew Pearle discusses options for athletes suffering from knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), emphasizing arthroscopic techniques. He begins by addressing the commonality of cartilage injuries among athletes and notes that many cases are chronic and asymptomatic. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying causes of cartilage damage, which can include trauma-induced injuries and degenerative conditions linked to factors like ligament injuries and osteoarthritis.
Dr. Pearle highlights the rising expectations of patients who believe that modern medicine can restore their knee cartilage to perfection. He discusses various treatment strategies, including palliative options such as weight loss, activity modification, and exercise, which he considers the only disease-modifying intervention for knee arthritis.
The presentation also covers restorative techniques, predominantly microfracture, its limitations, and alternative procedures like osteochondral autografts (OATS) and matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) that could provide better results. He shares data from studies demonstrating superior outcomes with OATS and MACI compared to microfracture.
Pearle stresses the significance of considering the entire joint rather than focusing solely on cartilage lesions and concludes with the message that an effective treatment plan must view cartilage issues within the context of broader joint health.