Q Severe osteoarthritis in both knees has forced me to stop running. Some time ago I read about a pioneering operation that was performed on a professional footballer, in which sections of the knee cartilage were removed, regrown in a laboratory

, and cartilage. Chondroitin is a component of cartilage. According to the manufacturers’ claims, when taken together, these two supplements protect joints and tendons and relieve osteoarthritis pain.In the past few years, orthopedists and other physicians have

ground – then the muscle will have to work overtime, and may eventually cramp up or even develop a small tear.Alternatively the problem could stem from your cartilage. The clicking when you climb the stairs might be due to ridges or contours

Q Every time I run, my knee clicks loudly but painlessly. It’s annoying rather than painful. The noise comes from below and outside the kneecap. Is it, or the cartilage, damaged? I broke my kneecap when I was 12 – could this be a cause?A Your

. The problem is further compounded by the fact that this ligament attaches to the cartilage (or meniscus) on the inside of the knee, and when damaged can increase the pressure on the cartilage. The group of tendons on the inside of the knee will also become

their quadriceps muscles less as a result, and develop wasting, particularly of the inner quads. Your doctor will need to exclude cartilage and cruciate injuries, as they often occur in conjunction with collateral tears.Medical investigationAs these are mainly

UAN: 219 Article type:--Half-moon snap-in cartilages form a buffer in the centre of the knee joint and allow some rotation. These are known as menisci and are placed either medially or laterally.Injury can occur to normal and ageing menisci

.Medical investigationsX-rays will confirm wear of the joint cartilage, which exposes roughened bone surfaces to each otherWhat else could it be?Gout.Self-treatmentYou should gently try to mobilise the joint, pulling and pushing it into extension and flexion and holding

, such as patellar problems, and cartilage tears and strains, as well as arthritis and internal damage, which produces fluid on the knee.Self-treatmentRest, ice and anti-inflammatories with training modification may well be sufficient to settle the problem

attention will be surgical if the injury causes enough pain to warrant it. It is not always practical to remove the cyst without also taking some of the underlying cartilage.Can you run through it?/Recovery timeAs pain is the limiting factor, some runners