A new treatment that blocks an aging-related protein restored lost cartilage in old mice and helped prevent arthritis after knee injuries. Human cartilage samples showed similar signs of regeneration, raising hopes for a future drug that could repair joints instead of replacing them.
Arthritis causes bone damage too. So. Idk how it’s going to regrow bone joints by repairing cartilage but I’m not a medical doctor.
I realize bone can repair itself but there are limits.
Perfect is the enemy of good.
God damn no one here can let anything just be good
Doesn’t bone damage start after cartilage is gone?
Sort of but yeah. As the cartilage breaks down the bone joints start making direct contact. Wearing the ball ends and socket. The ball ends get worn down to where there isn’t much of a ball shape and the socket gets the sides worn out so that it’s basically a very shallow wide bowl. So the joint can dislocate easier but mostly the problem people have is the bone on bone rubbing.
I guess I was thinking about hip replacements. That kind of damage isn’t going to be fixed with better cartilage. Its too late. But better cartilage would surely improve outcomes of such a surgery.
And possibly slow down degeneration if caught early.
Interesting. That makes sense when I imagine the physics of it.