New method of regrowing cartilage 'could bring relief to millions who suffer arthritis pain'

A new method of regrowing cartilage by zapping the bone could bring pain relief to millions of people who suffer from arthritis.

The technique, which has been successfully tested on rabbits, uses small electric shocks to stimulate cartilage growth.

Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from arthritis or similar conditions which cause joint pain and stiffness.

Normally, pads of cartilage cushions these areas, but they can become worn with age or through injury, causing the bones to rub and making everyday activities like walking incredibly painful.

Currently, treatments involve replacing damaged cartilage with a healthy piece taken from elsewhere in the patient's body or from a donor.

But healthy cartilage is in short supply and removing it from other parts of the body could cause more problems.

To address this, scientists have explored ways of getting the body to regrow its own healthy cartilage, but attempts have failed so far.

Now, scientists have discovered the missing ingredient for the cartilage to grow back properly - electricity.