New work on knee cartilage structure to aid better replacements and injury treatments

Fibrocartilage tissue in the knee is comprised of a more varied molecular structure than researchers previously appreciated. New work informs ways to better treat such injuries as knee meniscus tears -- treatment of which are the most common orthopaedic surgery in the United States -- and age-related tissue degeneration, both of which can have significant socioeconomic and quality-of-life costs.