Why it is advantageous for the articular cartilage not to be ossified?

Why it is advantageous for the articular cartilage not to be ossified?

Why is that advantageous? Growth of articular cartilage results in an increase in the size of the epiphyses. This is only one of the functions of articular cartilage; it also forms a smooth, resilient covering over the ends of the epiphyses within joints. Ossified articular cartilage could not perform that function.

What would happen without articular cartilage?

If there was no articular cartilage the bone surfaces would rapidly wear away due the friction that occurs when bone rubs against bone. Articular cartilage is self-lubricating because of its high fluid content which gives it the lowest coefficient of friction of any natural or man-made material.

What is a benefit of articular cartilage?

Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. Healthy cartilage in our joints makes it easier to move. It allows the bones to glide over each other with very little friction. Articular cartilage can be damaged by injury or normal wear and tear.

What are the advantages of articular cartilage having no perichondrium blood vessels or nerves?

It takes damaged cartilage so long to heal because there are no blood vessels in the inner perichondrium and therefore all of the nutrients and blood have to diffuse across the membrane which takes a longer time to get to the site.

What happens if the articular cartilage becomes damaged?

Patients with damage to the cartilage in a joint (articular cartilage damage) will experience: Inflammation – the area swells, becomes warmer than other parts of the body, and is tender, sore, and painful. Stiffness. Range limitation – as the damage progresses, the affected limb will not move so freely and easily.

Why is articular cartilage necessary for long bones?

Why is articular cartilage necessary for long bones? Articular cartilage allows bones to rub together with reduced friction at joints. Articular cartilage is the site of lengthwise growth in young children and adolescents. Articular cartilage houses red bone marrow for hematopoiesis.

What does articular cartilage loss mean?

Cartilage loss is defined by a decrease in cartilage volume and thickness. It occurs after cartilage wears away or deteriorates. With the cartilage loss of severe osteoarthritis, the joint space narrows and bone rubs on bone after cartilage loss occurs (sometimes referred to as bone-on-bone).

Why doesn’t fibrocartilage have a perichondrium?

Exchange between blood and chondrocytes takes place through the matrix. The deeper layers of perichondrium also contains “chondrogenic” cells which become chondrocytes as they produce matrix. White fibrocartilage blends with the surrounding fibrous tissue, and therefore does not have perichondrium.

Why damaged cartilage takes a long time to heal what are the advantages of articular cartilage having no perichondrium blood vessels or nerves?

Cartilage, like bone, is surrounded by a perichondrium-like fibrous membrane. This layer is not efficient at regenerating cartilage. Hence, its recovery is slow after injury. The lack of active blood flow is the major reason any injury to cartilage takes a long time to heal.

What is articular cartilage defect?

Articular cartilage defect is a common knee injury. Cartilage is frequently injured, often resulting from sports related trauma or overuse. The articular cartilage has a limiting capacity to heal itself naturally, due to the anatomy of the knee. Articular cartilage damage can worsen over time if not properly managed.

What causes articular cartilage damage?

What causes an articular cartilage injury? Articular cartilage injuries can occur as a result of either traumatic or progressive degeneration (wear and tear). With mechanical destruction, a direct blow or other trauma can injure the articular cartilage.

How do articular cartilages differ from other cartilages in the body?

How do articular cartilages differ from other cartilages in the body? Articular cartilages cover articulating surfaces of bones. They resemble hyaline cartilages elsewhere in the body, but they have no perichondrium, and the matrix contains more water than other cartilages have.

How is the preservation of articular cartilage important?

The preservation of articular cartilage is highly dependent on maintaining its organized architecture. Articular cartilage is hyaline cartilage and is 2 to 4 mm thick. Unlike most tissues, articular cartilage does not have blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatics.

What is the structure and composition of articular cartilage?

Structure and Composition of Articular Cartilage. Articular cartilage is hyaline cartilage and is 2 to 4 mm thick. Unlike most tissues, articular cartilage does not have blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatics. It is composed of a dense extracellular matrix (ECM) with a sparse distribution of highly specialized cells called chondrocytes.

What are the effects of articular cartilage injury?

Injury to articular cartilage is recognized as a cause of significant musculoskeletal morbidity. The unique and complex structure of articular cartilage makes treatment and repair or restoration of the defects challenging for the patient, the surgeon, and the physical therapist.

How are collagen fibrils arranged in articular cartilage?

Of note, the collagen fibrils are arranged perpendicular to the articular cartilage. The calcified layer plays an integral role in securing the cartilage to bone, by anchoring the collagen fibrils of the deep zone to subchondral bone. In this zone, the cell population is scarce and chondrocytes are hypertrophic.