What is a Cartilage Injury?
What is a Cartilage Injury?A cartilage injury is damage to the smooth tissue that protects and cushions the body’s joints. Cartilage injuries are most common in the knee but can also occur in the hip, ankle, elbow, and shoulder. Cartilage damage can happen while playing sports, from a fall, or due to long-term wear and tear. If you have symptoms of pain, swelling, and stiffness in a joint, you may have a cartilage injury.
Types of Cartilage Injuries
TypesThere are three types of cartilage in the body: elastic (yellow) cartilage, fibrocartilage, and hyaline cartilage. Each type of cartilage can be injured.
- Hyaline cartilage is the most common cartilage type. In joints, it is called articular cartilage. It coats the ends of the bones that meet in a joint and prevents the bones from rubbing together. Healthy articular cartilage allows the joints to glide smoothly and creates a surface five times more slippery than ice on ice. Articular cartilage injuries occur when this cartilage gets worn away with time or from an impact on the joint. Hyaline cartilage also helps hold the bones of the rib cage together. A blow to the rib can cause a painful tear in the articular cartilage (costal cartilage injury).
- Fibrocartilage makes up the discs that cushion the spine ’s vertebrae. Wear and tear from aging can cause a herniated (bulging) disc. The meniscus pads, which serve as the knee’s shock absorbers, also are made of fibrocartilage. A torn meniscus is a common knee injury, often caused by a sudden twist while playing sports.
- Elastic (yellow) cartilage is springy tissue that makes up the outer ear and part of the nose. It can be damaged by a hard impact, for example, while playing rugby or wrestling. Blood may pool under the skin forming a subperichondrial hematoma (cauliflower ear).
Signs & Symptoms of Cartilage Injuries
SymptomsSigns of cartilage injury are similar wherever they occur in the body. Symptoms of cartilage injuries include:
- Pain in a joint or at a different site of injury, such as the ribs
- Swelling from inflammation around the cartilage injury
- Stiffness in a joint, such as the knee joint
- Grinding, grating, popping, or clicking sensations when moving a joint
- Joint locking that prevents you from fully straightening or bending a joint, commonly the knee
- Reduced range of motion in a joint
What Causes Cartilage Injuries?
CausesThese sports, activities, and conditions can increase your risk of cartilage injuries:
- Sports that require pivoting on one foot or quick overhead motions, including soccer, tennis, football, wrestling, and volleyball. Getting hit by a ball can also damage cartilage in the nose or ear.
- A fall can cause wrist cartilage injury or damage cartilage in the shoulder, ankle, or other joints
- Repetitive movements or overuse of a joint in sports or at work
- Being overweight puts stress on joint cartilage over time
- Aging, as joint cartilage wears away gradually over time
- Family history of bone abnormalities or genetic disease that affects cartilage
Risk Factors
Risk FactorsThese sports, activities, and conditions can increase your risk of cartilage injuries:
- Sports that require pivoting on one foot or quick overhead motions, including soccer, tennis, football, wrestling, and volleyball. Getting hit by a ball can also damage cartilage in the nose or ear. Learn how to stay safe while playing sports.
- A fall can cause wrist cartilage injury or damage cartilage in the shoulder, ankle, or other joints
- Repetitive movements or overuse of a joint in sports or at work
- Being overweight puts stress on joint cartilage over time
- Aging, as joint cartilage wears away gradually over time
- Family history of bone abnormalities or genetic disease that affects cartilage
Trust NewYork-Presbyterian to Care for your Cartilage Injury
Schedule an appointment at NewYork-Presbyterian to get advanced treatment for cartilage injuries. Our top orthopedic specialists take a multidisciplinary approach to pain management, bone and tissue repair treatments, and surgery.