How effective is cartilage repair surgery for knee cartilage injury?

The aim is to encourage new repair tissue or restore the damaged surface so the knee can tolerate movement more comfortably. Surgery may help a focal osteochondral defect, yet it does not reverse widespread arthritis or guarantee a return to every sport. Your surgeon considers whether the injury is contained, whether the knee is aligned and stable, and whether the meniscus and nearby cartilage are healthy. Improvement is usually assessed through pain, swelling, motion, strength and daily activities rather than a single test.

Before deciding, discuss imaging findings, non-surgical options and the repair technique proposed. After surgery, follow the weight-bearing and brace instructions closely. Physiotherapy commonly progresses from protecting the repair to restoring movement, quadriceps control, balance and sport-specific loading. Advancing activity because the knee feels better can overload healing tissue. Smoking, uncontrolled health conditions, poor muscle strength or an untreated alignment problem may affect recovery, so mention these during planning.

Contact the surgical team promptly for increasing wound redness, drainage, fever, calf swelling, new severe pain or breathlessness. Arrange review if locking, repeated giving-way, persistent swelling or loss of motion continues after the expected rehabilitation milestones. A sudden injury during recovery deserves assessment, even when swelling later settles.

Ask which cartilage layer is damaged, why this repair suits the defect, how much weight bearing is allowed, what milestones guide physiotherapy, and which activities may need permanent modification. Ask how alignment, ligament stability and meniscus health affect the plan.