Ankles might point the way to cartilage repair in osteoarthritis

Ankles might point the way to cartilage repair in osteoarthritis

The ankle's ability to regenerate cartilage uses the same mechanisms that enable some animals to grow new limbs, and it could be harnessed to repair cartilage in knees and hips hobbled by osteoarthritis.

Ankles may hold the key to new osteoarthritis therapy

Key proteins in the ankles are similar to those salamanders use to regenerate severed limbs. That may pave way for a new approach to joint disease.