Patent ID: 8207115

Claim:
A method for treating a patient having a cartilage disorder characterized by cartilage injury or a loss of cartilage in a joint comprising the intraarticular administration of an FGF-18 compound to a mammalian patient having a cartilage disorder, wherein the FGF-18 compound is administered in a treatment cycle that comprises the administration of said FGF-18 compound at least three times and each administration is separated by at least 6 days, wherein said FGF-18 compound is intraarticularly administered into a joint in which cartilage has been lost or injured and said treatment results in an increase in cartilage deposition in said joint of said mammalian patient, and wherein said FGF-18 compound comprises amino acid residues 28 to 207 of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 5 (FGF-18 (170AA)).