Post-traumatic Erosions of Articular Cartilage.

Erosions of articular cartilage are often seen in the knee joint in association with certain internal derangements such as meniscus tears or after recurrent subluxation of the patella (Helfet 1959, Smillie 1962). Also a number of studies have appeared on the pathology of articular cartilage after injury, both in man (Landells 1957) and in experimental animals (Barnett 1956. Tallqvist 1962, Meachim 1963). However, attention does not appear to have been directed towards the clinical diagnosis and management of isolated articular cartilage erosions after injury, with the exception of several papers bearing on the patella (BUdinger 1908; Wiles, Andrews and Devas 1956). The present paper deals with sixteen patients with articular cartilage injuries in various joints (Table I). These lesions predispose to osteoarthritis in the affected joints, although the