New Perspectives in Joint Cartilage Treatment with Special Emphasis on New Types of Hydrogels: a Review

Joints are a necessary anatomic and functional element of the organ of locomotion. Hyaline cartilage is a very important element of a joint in physiological terms. Joint cartilage is subjected to injuries associated with non-physiological loading and excessive abnormal mobility caused by ligament instability. These can lead to damage to the surface of the cartilage and the development of defects. Until now there has been no „golden standard” for treating injuries to joint cartilage. The goal of this treatment is to sustain knee function at a level that is tolerable and acceptable to the patient. Three major minimally invasive techniques for treating damage of the surface of the joints are currently available, namely 1) the microfracture technique, which stimulates bone marrow. Regenerative processes promote the formation of fibrohyaline cartilage. 2) transplantation of osteocartilaginous allo- and autogeneic cylinders. 3) in vitro chondrocyte culture and transplantation of these chondrocytes to sites with cartilage defects. This review describes both the historical and modern techniques of joint cartilage treatment as well as new perspectives related to the use of biomaterials in the healing of cartilage defects.