Cartilage Biology
A 45-year-old athlete presents with knee pain and is found to have a focal cartilage defect. The surgeon discusses cartilage biology to explain the limited healing potential of cartilage injuries and the rationale for various treatment options including microfracture, which relies on accessing the subchondral bone. Regarding articular cartilage structure:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
Articular cartilage is hyaline cartilage composed of water (60-80%), Type II collagen (10-20%), prot...
Cartilage has four distinct zones: superficial/tangential (10-20%, Type II collagen parallel to surf...
Articular cartilage contains Type I collagen as its primary component; it is highly vascular with ex...
Proteoglycans (primarily aggrecan) provide compressive stiffness by attracting water through their n...
Cartilage injury healing depends on depth: superficial injuries do not heal (no blood supply access)...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option