There are two meniscal cartilages within the knee. The medial meniscus is on the inner side of the knee, the lateral meniscus is on the outer side of the knee. The menisci are located between the femur and tibia and when healthy, act as shock absorbers, protecting the articular cartilage from injury. The menisci are made of a strong rubbery type tissue known as fibrocartilage and are semicircular shaped.

The meniscus is a commonly injured structure in the knee. Injury can occur in any age group. In younger individuals, the meniscus is fairly tough and rubbery. Tears usually occur as the result of a fairly forceful twisting injury. In older people, the meniscus grows weak with age and meniscal tear can occur as the result of a fairly minor injury, or from up and down motion.

In the majority of cases in people under 30 the meniscus can be repaired..or sewn together. As we age, and our tears become more degenerative in nature, the likelihood of a tear being "repairable" decreases dramatically and a removal of the torn portion is necessary to alleviate pain.

Most of the meniscus does not have its own blood supply, and so cannot always get the nutrients needed for self-repair. Whether or not the meniscus can heal therefore depends on where it becomes torn. Tears on the outer rim of the meniscus, which attaches to the knee capsule, do have the potential to heal because they are close to a blood supply.

The classic symptom of a torn meniscus is pain, often felt as a sharp, almost “knife-like” stabbing sensation on the inside (medial tear) or outside (lateral tear) of the knee. This pain is often felt in waves, with bouts of severe discomfort, followed by no pain, felt over the course of several days/weeks. However, the pain may also be felt as an aching sensation or even just as stiffness of the knee.

Meniscal tears are treated using arthroscopic or keyhole surgery, but not everyone will need surgery. As with all injuries there are options and the most important thing to be considered is the level of discomfort and whether it interferes with your ability to function normally. All surgical procedures carry some element of risk, and your doctor must ensure that the benefits of any treatment you receive outweigh any potential risks.

Cartilage is the shock-absorbing, gel-like material that protects the bones at the joints. Healthy cartilage cushions the impact of bones and enables us to move about painlessly.

A meniscal tear can be diagnosed based on your description of how your injury occurred, and by taking a specialized photograph of your knee known as a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scan. An MRI scan uses very strong magnetic fields to look at the inside of the knee, and allows all the soft tissues, ligaments and cartilage to be seen clearly.

No, despite claims, there is no evidence that cartilage can be regenerated with medication, herbs, or changes in diet. Some supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, may strengthen and protect damaged cartilage, but they have not been shown to regenerate cartilage. Electrical stimulation to the cartilage may regenerate cartilage, but this is still being investigated. Occasionally, cartilage cells can be grown in cultures and re-implanted into the patient's joint through surgery.

Cartilage defects are treated based on the thickness and extent of the lesions. Superficial lesions are treated by debridement and smoothening (Chondroplasty). Deep lesions are treated by either Microfracture Chondroplasty or Mosaicplasty. In Microfracture Chondroplasty multiple perforations are made in the subchondral bone to stimulate bleeding and cartilage formation. In Mosaicplasty, bone plugs with cartilage are harvested from non-weight bearing parts of the joint to the defect. Mostly yes.

Joint cartilage is an array of collagen, proteoglycans and other proteins, as well as water, which provides a smooth gliding surface for articulating bones.

CANCER - For active (non-remissive) cancer patients, recommended base amount is 35 to 40 grams per day (for woman approx. 130lbs. or man approx. 160 lbs.) Patients heavier than these weights should consult our intake chart. Doses should be equally divided into three or four amounts and taken every six or eight hours as desired. For best absorption, a retention enema is recommended with equal amounts of cartilage, powder and sterile water blended together.

Yes, because the cartilage that is being removed is no longer functioning. In most cases, surgeons will try to preserve as much cartilage as possible, and generally only remove around 20–25%.

Cartilage is a bloodless gristle - the tough, elastic, whitish connective tissue found around bones in mammals just like that small flexible "bone" found at the end of your nose. Amazingly, sharks don't have a single bone in their body. Their entire skeletal structure is made up of cartilage which is 6% to 8% of the total shark's body weight.

It is very difficult to diagnose articular cartilage injury clinically and by MRI. However a cartilage injury can be suspected based on the type of injury and the ligaments torn.

The articular cartilage is the smooth white cap on the end of the bone. (Similar to the white cap on the end of a chicken bone) It provides the shock absorption, the smooth gliding surface between the 2 ends of the bone that constitutes the joint and the lubrication of the joint.

Pain and swelling of the knee joint are symptoms of damage to the articular cartilage. However, some damage may result with minimal symptoms. Repeated small injuries over years may eventually cause damage without significant symptoms.

In a healthy joint, cartilage cushions the area surrounding the two bones that come into contact with one another. This allows easy movement without pain. In an unhealthy joint, the cartilage is damaged or worn away causing pain from bones rubbing and grinding together.

Check with your local health food store for our informative literature. We offer a free information package concerning shark cartilage and our products. We also have an educational video regarding shark cartilage available for purchase for a modest charge.Back to Top Of course, because shark cartilage is rich in certain minerals it could well be a very effective dietary supplement and prophylactic. Chinese people have been consuming shark fin soup for thousands of years.

Because of the specific nature of shark cartilage, no chemicals or heat can be used in either the initial acquisition or subsequent processing. Great care must be exercised through all stages of production to ensure that the active ingredient, the protein compound, is not denatured in any way.As we mentioned, the processing is of utmost importance.

The Cartilage Restoration Program aims to restore damaged cartilage using biological means. This entails using cartilage repair transplantation and joint reconstruction. Tampa Bay Orthopaedic Specialists is proud to have one of very few centers designated to cartilage restoration in the world. Activities of the program include clinical care, as well as teaching and research.

Yes. Cartilage is composed predominantly of Collagen Type II. Collagen Type II actually helps to rebuild cartilage in arthritic joints.

So far, no herbal or other alternative therapy has been proven to help lymphoma. For this reason, and because lymphoma can be a life-threatening disease, the safest course is to have medical treatments prescribed and tracked by your medical team. If you decide to try alternative therapies such as herbs or homeopathy in addition to the medical treatments advised by your medical team, be sure to discuss all treatments with your doctor first.

Yes, with reservations. The injury can be repaired or the surface replaced surgically in some serious situations.

Besides being used for general health and well-being, it has been suggested that shark cartilage may provide therapeutic nutritional support for the following conditions: Arthritis, Rheumatism, Cancer, Melanoma and other Skin Cancers, Hemmorrhoids, Psoriosis, Shingles.Shark cartilage has also been found to be beneficial in inhibiting the growth of tumors by impeding the vascularization of malignant tissue (angiogenesis).

Occasionally the injury that causes a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament will also result in tearing of one or both of the menisci or "cartilages". At the time of surgery, these are examined and removed if necessary.

No, we haven't performed cartilage differentiation internally at BioE, however, one of our collaborators has differentiated them into chondrocytes (cartilage). Internally, we have performed bone (osteogenic),fat (adipogenic), and skeletal muscle differentations, all of which are in the mesodermal layer as is cartilage.