Question:
My client, who suffered from complete osteoarthritis and had no cartilage left in his ankle, was able to regain some cartilage in 3 months, but he didn’t have a complete reconstruction. He took glucosamine chondroitin and magnesium, taking the recommended doses for osteoarthritis and inflammation. He no longer has inflammation, but still has a lack of cartilage. You told me that cartilage normally rebuilds itself in 3 months, but I don’t know exactly why it didn’t happen completely.
If you could explain this to me from your point of view. And I should point out that my client works standing all day long.
Answer:
Although cartilage can begin repairing itself within about three months, your client has been facing some real challenges. Starting from no cartilage at all—as in full-blown osteoarthritis—is a lot tougher than recovering from mild thinning. The supplements he’s been taking (glucosamine, chondroitin, and magnesium) likely helped by reducing inflammation and supporting the healing process, but they’re generally better at preserving what cartilage remains rather than rebuilding it completely from scratch.
On top of that, being on his feet all day puts constant pressure on the ankle joint, which makes it harder for new cartilage to grow and stay healthy. Cartilage needs a bit of movement to stimulate repair, but too much stress without enough rest can actually slow things down.
To help with ongoing recovery, it might be worth adding a collagen supplement—this provides more of the raw material needed for cartilage repair. Low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling can also be a great way to promote healing without putting too much strain on the joint. And custom orthotics could help reduce the daily stress on his ankle during work.
He’s already made great progress, and with a few more supportive strategies, he could continue seeing steady improvements. Full cartilage regeneration often takes time—6 to 12 months or more—and in some cases, treatments like PRP injections might help speed things up.
For your client’s ankle cartilage repair, the best collagen supplement to focus on is Type II collagen, specifically in its undenatured form (UC-II). This type makes up the majority of cartilage tissue and has been shown in research to help reduce joint inflammation while supporting cartilage regeneration. Unlike Type I (which mainly benefits skin and bones) or Type III (good for skin and blood vessels), Type II collagen directly targets the cartilage rebuilding process. A small dose of about 5-10mg per day of UC-II can be effective
