PMID: 11344979May 10, 2001Paper

Articular cartilage. Anatomy, injury, and repair

Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
D W HayesK J John

Abstract

Articular cartilage plays a vital role in joint morphology. An understanding of articular cartilage anatomy and physiology will enable the physician to more fully appreciate its function and necessity. Articular cartilage is made up of four basic biological layers or zones. Each zone possesses attributes necessary to make articular cartilage as a whole strong, durable, and more able to withstand shear and axial forces through a joint. Cartilage metabolism is relatively slow in comparison with other tissues; hence, it is much more difficult for defects in cartilage to heal spontaneously. There are many ways in which articular cartilage can incur damage. Mechanical injury, be it acute or insidious, causes cartilage to fissure and fracture. This results in painful and inflamed joints along with disruption of the cartilage. Metabolic diseases also can produce joint destruction, inflammation, and pain. The resultant defects fail to heal spontaneously because of slow metabolism of cartilage. These chondral defects eventually may penetrate subchondral bone. Disruption of the layers of cartilage eventually will cause collapse and loss of integrity of the entire joint apparatus as a whole. More than 250 years ago, Hunter stated, "Ulcera...Continue Reading

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