Structure and pathologies of articular cartilage

Abstract

The aim of the review was to describe a complex microstructure and biomechanical properties of the articular cartilage as well as a current review of its pathologies encountered in veterinary practice. The articular cartilage with its unique features: complex microarchitecture, significant mechanical durability and elasticity, lacking blood, lymphatic vessels, and innervation, seems to stand in contradiction to the laws of biology. It can be involved in a vast majority of diseases, from osteoarthrosis as a result of natural aging process to more complex in nature like osteochondromatosis. The primary role of articular cartilage is to provide the surface for movement in any single joint in the body. Therefore, its diseases lead to physical impairment and deterioration of the quality of life. Treatment of articular cartilage poses a formidable challenge in both modern human and animal medicine.