It serves a variety of structural and functional purposes and exists in different types throughout our joints, bones, spine, lungs, ears and nose. These materials help cartilage attract water and give it its shape and specific properties. There are three main types of cartilage: elastic cartilage, fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage. These types vary in their make-up of the substances listed above. Elastic cartilage is present in the ear, nose and parts of the lungs.
It is a highly flexible formulation of cartilage. Fibrocartilage is found in the menisci of the knee and the discs of the spine. It is far less flexible than elastic cartilage.
Hyaline cartilage is found at the ends of bones — lining the joints of the body — as well as the septum of the nose and part of the breathing tube. Hyaline, or articular, cartilage covers the ends of bones to create a low-friction environment and cushion at the joint surface. If the cartilage begins to degenerate with age, or if it were to become damaged from an injury, the joint loses some of that protective cushion and exposes underlying bone ends. This damage can lead to excess stress of those areas of bone that are ill-equipped to handle strong forces.
Bryan M. June 15, This procedure involves using a special high-speed instrument called a burr to create small holes below damaged cartilage to stimulate cartilage repair and growth. This cartilage repair technique requires two steps.
First, a doctor removes a healthy piece of cartilage from a person and sends the cartilage sample to a laboratory. The person then goes to surgery where the damaged cartilage is removed and replaced with the newly grown cartilage. A surgeon also performs other repairs. Because this approach requires multiple surgical procedures, doctors usually only perform it on younger individuals who have a single injury that is 2 centimeters or greater.
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. Learn about the potential causes of sudden pain without an injury, as well as treatments and when to see a doctor. When the joint bends or bears weight, the synovial fluid is squeezed out, helping to keep the joint lubricated and healthy.
See What Is a Synovial Joint? When cartilage is damaged, the bones may rub and grind against one another at the joint, causing friction. How does damaged cartilage cause pain?
Cartilage does not contain nerves, so damaged cartilage itself does not cause pain. However, the friction between the joint's bones and other resulting abnormalities such as bone spurs can cause discomfort and pain as well as inflammation.
See Other Causes of Joint Pain. Does damaged cartilage ever heal? Because it does not contain blood vessels, cartilage does not heal itself well. When cartilage has become thinned or damaged, a limited amount of new cartilage may be produced, but the new cartilage cells will grow in irregular, bumpy patterns. The result is that the bones may rub and grind against one another at the joint and this can be a source of pain. See Osteoarthritis Symptoms and Signs.
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