Question:

I have a knee that is bone-on-bone. The cartilage is pretty much gone. I’ve seen on Facebook that you can regrow cartilage to avoid a knee replacement. I wanted to know if that was true. 

Answer from orthopaedic surgeon Christopher Deans, MD:

Arthritis, whether osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis, is the degeneration of a joint. In this case, it’s most likely the “wear and tear” type of arthritis, or osteoarthritis. 

The first thing to understand is that arthritis of the joint does include the loss or “wearing down” of cartilage. However, it also includes: 

• The building of bone spurs, which are bony growths that form along bone edges.
• Degeneration of the meniscus, a C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and provides stability to the knee joint.  
• Stiffening of the joint. 
• Possible stretching, shrinking or damage to ligaments or tendons.

Many scientists and physician-scientists are working toward injectable interventions for cartilage loss. However, currently, no product can regrow cartilage in human joints. The advertisements offering to regrow your cartilage are, unfortunately, misleading. 

Products such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cell injections and peptide injections may help treat inflammation or joint pain. However, none of these treatments have been shown to regrow cartilage. Also, when scientists finally do “unlock” the ability to regrow cartilage, it still won’t address the other issues listed above. We have years of research and development before we find the “golden key” to arthritis.

However, if bone-on-bone arthritis is affecting your daily function and quality of life, many surgical and nonsurgical options are available. These treatments are supported by years of research and patient outcomes.