Treatment is currently symptomatic rather than specific.
Alternative chondroprotective mechanisms include inhibition of cartilage degradative metalloproteases, or stimulation of chondrocyte proliferation and matrix synthesis. Animals were examined at intervals up to 12 months after surgery. In animals treated with fibrinogen alone, no new cartilage formed and there was no improvement in the cartilage defects. These cells retained the morphology of fibroblasts and did not differentiate into chondrocytes or form cartilage. TGF- released at high concentration from liposomes appeared to promote cartilage proliferation and differentiation .