There are many different types of braces on the market for the knee. Prophylactic braces are used to prevent or decrease the risk of a knee injury. Functional braces stabilize a wobbly knee when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is deficient or after surgery to repair the ligament. Rehabilitative braces limit the amount of knee motion that's allowed during recovery and rehab after knee surgery.

Patients with chronically dislocating or otherwise unstable kneecaps have a condition called patellar instability. This condition poses a treatment challenge because of the unique and complex anatomy and biomechanics of the patellofemoral joint (where the kneecap articulates or moves against the leg bones). And this problem is fairly common, especially among the young, athletic population.

Chondrolysis refers to the loss of articular cartilage, the smooth cartilage that allows the two joint surfaces to slide and glide against each other easily. Thinning of the cartilage narrows the joint space, putting more pressure on the joint and causing painful symptoms that eventually lead to joint arthritis.

Sports injuries command a lot of attention in the orthopedic world. Keeping athletes in tip top shape and in playing or competitive mode is a top priority for sports medicine specialists. Toward that end, researchers are trying to understand what causes tendon problems (called tendinopathies) in this group of individuals.

Chondrolysis refers to the loss of articular cartilage, the smooth cartilage that allows the two joint surfaces to slide and glide against each other easily. Thinning of the cartilage narrows the joint space, putting more pressure on the joint and causing painful symptoms that eventually lead to joint arthritis.

After years of using pain pumps to control joint pain after surgery, surgeons are getting an inkling that the drug used (bupivacaine) may be the cause of cartilage damage called chondrolysis. Chondrolysis refers to the loss of articular cartilage, the smooth cartilage that allows the two joint surfaces to slide and glide against each other easily.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are often accompanied by damage to other soft tissue structures of the knee. Patients are advised to have surgery sooner than later, especially when there are combined injuries, but also to prevent additional injuries. Surgeons are advised to carefully evaluate the joint for any additional ligament or cartilage tears before doing surgery for the ACL.

Age may or may not be against you. It's natural to assume that the older you are, the less likely you will heal or recover quickly and completely. But, in fact, age may not be the main factor. That doesn't mean that the consequences of a repeat ACL tear aren't there.

It's clear now that unrepaired anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are often accompanied by damage to other soft tissue structures of the knee. Patients are advised to have surgery sooner than later. And surgeons are advised to carefully evaluate the joint for any additional ligament or cartilage tears before doing surgery for the ACL. But sometimes patients opt out of surgery and decide to wait before having the operation.

There has been some concern that the number of grafts or the graft size harvested makes a difference in the final results of osteochondral transplantation. It's possible that taking larger grafts or a greater number (sometimes as many as three plugs are transplanted) could negatively affect the outcomes.