Chondral lesions may be degenerative or traumatic. They do not always produce symptoms at first because there are no nerves in the cartilage. Over time, however, lesions can disrupt normal joint function and lead to pain, inflammation and limited mobility. The lesion may gradually worsen or cause other problems in the joint. One commonly performed procedure, called a chondroplasty, occurs when the surgeon arthroscopically smoothes the shredded or frayed articular cartilage. Another slightly more involved procedure, called microfracture, occurs when the surgeon performs arthroscopic surgery to create several small holes in the lesion to stimulate new cartilage growth.