How is Articular Cartilage Injured?
Articular cartilage injuries can occur as a result of either traumatic mechanical destruction, or progressive mechanical degeneration (wear & tear). With mechanical destruction, a direct blow or other trauma can injure the articular cartilage. Depending on the extent of the damage, and the location of the injury, it is sometimes possible for the articular cartilage cells to heal. Articular cartilage has no direct blood supply, thus it has little or no capacity to repair itself. If the injury penetrates the bone beneath the cartilage, the underlying bone provides some blood to the area, improving the chance of healing. Occasionally an articular cartilage fragment completely breaks loose from the underlying bone. This chip, called a loose body, may float in the joint interfering with normal joint motion. Mechanical degeneration (wear and tear) of articular cartilage occurs with the progressive loss of the normal cartilage structure and function. This initial loss begins with cartilage so
