Which statement about articular cartilage is true?

Prepare for the Tissue Injury, Healing, and Pain Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations. Ensure you're ready for the exam!

Multiple Choice

Which statement about articular cartilage is true?

Articular cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves. It relies on diffusion from the synovial fluid (and to a lesser extent the underlying bone) to supply nutrients to the chondrocytes. This avascular, aneural nature means there is minimal inflammatory response and an extremely limited capacity to repair itself after injury. When damage does occur, the repair tissue is usually fibrocartilage rather than the original hyaline cartilage, and healing is slow. So, statements claiming it is vascular and innervated or that it heals rapidly without intervention are not accurate.

Articular cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves. It relies on diffusion from the synovial fluid (and to a lesser extent the underlying bone) to supply nutrients to the chondrocytes. This avascular, aneural nature means there is minimal inflammatory response and an extremely limited capacity to repair itself after injury. When damage does occur, the repair tissue is usually fibrocartilage rather than the original hyaline cartilage, and healing is slow. So, statements claiming it is vascular and innervated or that it heals rapidly without intervention are not accurate.

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