Articular cartilage is what kind of tissue

It is the most common type of cartilage, found in the nose, windpipe, and most of the body's joints. In a joint, hyaline cartilage is referred to as articular cartilage. This is because the cartilage covers bones' surfaces where they articulate, or meet to form the joint. For example, at the knee joint, the top of the tibia, the bottom of the femur, and the back of the kneecap are covered with articular cartilage.

The thickness of articular cartilage varies from joint to joint. For example, in the wrist, cartilage may be less than 1 mm thick 1 , while in some areas of the knee the cartilage may be as thick as 6 mm.

See Hand Pain and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Articular cartilage also stores synovial fluid, a sticky, viscous fluid that lubricates and circulates nutrients to the joint. When the joint is at rest, the synovial fluid is stored in the articular cartilage much like water is stored in a sponge. These include marrow stimulation techniques, including surgeries, stem cell injections, and grafting of cartilage into damaged areas.

However, due to the extremely slow growth of cartilage and its avascular properties, regeneration and growth of cartilage post-injury is still very slow.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Skeletal System. Search for:. Learning Objective Differentiate among the types of cartilage. Key Takeaways Key Points Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue that differs from bone in several ways; it is avascular and its microarchitecture is less organized than bone. Cartilage is not innervated and therefore relies on diffusion to obtain nutrients. This causes it to heal very slowly.

The main cell types in cartilage are chondrocytes, the ground substance is chondroitin sulfate, and the fibrous sheath is called perichondrium. There are three types of cartilage: hyaline, fibrous, and elastic cartilage. Hyaline cartilage is the most widespread type and resembles glass. In the embryo, bone begins as hyaline cartilage and later ossifies. Fibrous cartilage has many collagen fibers and is found in the intervertebral discs and pubic symphysis.

Elastic cartilage is springy, yellow, and elastic and is found in the internal support of the external ear and in the epiglottis. Key Terms chondroitin sulfate : An important structural component of cartilage that provides much of its resistance to compression. Chondrocytes : Cells that form and maintain the cartilage. Learning Objective Describe cartilage growth and repair. Key Takeaways Key Points The division of cells within cartilage occurs very slowly. Articular cartilage function is dependent on the molecular composition of its extracellular matrix ECM.

This surgical technique involves removing damaged cartilage and then making small holes just beneath the cartilage in an area of bone known as the subchondral bone. This creates a new blood supply that will ideally stimulate healing. The drilling approach is similar to microfracture. It involves making small holes in the subchondral area as a means of stimulating healing and new cartilage growth by increasing blood supply.

This approach involves taking a piece of healthy cartilage from a non-weight-bearing area of the body and applying it to a damaged area. This type is usually only used on a small area of damage because a surgeon cannot take an excess of healthy tissue.

Unlike the other tissue grafts, an allograft comes from a cadaver donor, not the person themselves. The allografts can usually treat larger areas of injury than an autograft. Although doctors can perform these procedures to promote healing, the cartilage may grow at a slow rate. Doctors will likely recommend physical therapy and other techniques in the meantime to promote mobility.

Researchers are exploring new ways of healing and treating damaged cartilage besides increasing blood supply and performing cartilage grafts. Examples include trying to use stem cells to grow into healthy cartilage and attempting to create a microgel like the matrix that nourishes cartilage. However, these approaches are still in the clinical trial stages and will take time and testing before new techniques emerge.

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage. Learn about costochondritis symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Cartilage cushions joints and helps them work smoothly.

It naturally degenerates with age, which may lead to osteoarthritis. Learn more. We look at seven of the best capsaicin products you can buy online, in the store, or with a prescription. Here's everything you need to know about cortisone shots, including how they work, how much they cost, and what conditions they're meant to treat.

Embedded in this are one or two round nuclei with the usual intranuclear network. Fibrous cartilage has lots of collagen fibers Type I and Type II , and it tends to grade into dense tendon and ligament tissue. White fibrocartilage consists of a mixture of white fibrous tissue and cartilaginous tissue in various proportions. It owes its flexibility and toughness to the fibrous tissue, and its elasticity to the cartilaginous tissue.

It is the only type of cartilage that contains type I collagen in addition to the normal type II. Fibrocartilage is found in the pubic symphysis, the annulus fibrosus of intervertebral discs, menisci, and the temporal mandibular joint. Elastic or yellow cartilage contains elastic fiber networks and collagen fibers. The principal protein is elastin. Elastic cartilage is histologically similar to hyaline cartilage but contains many yellow elastic fibers lying in a solid matrix.

These fibers form bundles that appear dark under a microscope. They give elastic cartilage great flexibility so it can withstand repeated bending. Chondrocytes lie between the fibers. Elastic cartilage is found in the epiglottis part of the larynx and the pinnae the external ear flaps of many mammals, including humans.