Why does cartilage heal so slowly




















The rehabilitation process after a ligament sprain may be accelerated or slowed depending on the grade of the ligament injury. Cartilage Healing Considerations. The most effective physical therapy treatment and rehabilitation progression will include activities designed to affect each type of involved tissue.

The design of an appropriate treatment program needs to take into account the relative priorities of a body that is healing, and needs to be continuously modified as the healing process occurs so that each tissue that is healing is provided with its optimal healing stimulus at any given time. The same activities that are appropriate initially after an injury are seldom the most appropriate activities to continue with as the healing process evolves.

It is not uncommon for physical therapists to hear that their patients were sent home after initial medical consult post-injury with a written sheet of activities that they were told to work on at home. This was probably hopefully a good starting point.

However, it was also a very generic, one-size-fits-most place to begin rehabilitation. Regardless of how simple or complex recovery is anticipated to be in any given situation, a physical therapist working as a team with each patient will be able to provide additional effective care during the entire course of a rehabilitation process.

Sometimes this might involve only several visits over the course of time. Other times more intensive or frequent care might be indicated. The therapists at Symmetry recommend consulting with your physical therapist any time that mobility and daily function are negatively impacted by pain or injury. Getting started on an appropriate program of rehabilitation can considerably speed the process of recovery and minimize activity limitations — allowing maintenance of optimal musculoskeletal health.

The circulatory system provides all tissues with nutrients and oxygen — both of which enable the tissue to heal. Because muscle gets lots of blood flow, it has a good environment for healing. Injures can occur when muscle imbalances, are present. Postural muscles should be firing constantly to maintain appropriate posture and body position. Correcting muscular imbalances via activities that promote proper movement and muscle recruitment patterns can allow muscle healing to occur.

Tendon Healing Considerations Tendons attach muscles to bones. Tendons generally have a more limited blood supply than muscles. This makes them somewhat slower healing structures in comparison to muscle.

Blood supply to injured tendons can be stimulated by activities that cause tension on the tendon tissue. This could mean either tension that occurs when a muscle is contracted, or when it is stretched. Tendons tend to respond well to a particular type of tension. Eccentric activity, which means that a tendon is stressed while it is being lengthened, is particularly helpful for tendon remodeling after injury.

If you think you may have endured a cartilage injury or tear, seek medical care from an expert. The sooner the better. If left untreated, you could continue to experience pain and other symptoms as well as impeded function of the joint with the cartilage damage.

You may also have difficulty doing your normal daily activities as the injury worsens. A main risk of leaving a cartilage injury untreated is the joint damage that can occur from a lack of proper bone protection. This joint damage can manifest in deformities, misalignment, and limited movement.

In severe cases, bone-on-bone grinding can produce bone fragments that may cause damage to nearby muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues. Never let a suspected cartilage injury or tear go untreated. Whether you have suffered an accident or are experiencing degenerative pain, we can help you find the relief you deserve starting with an accurate diagnosis. Start yours now with our online pain assessment tool below.

You can find the pain relief you deserve at Oasis Medical Group. Request An Appointment. Articular cartilage function is dependent on the molecular composition of its ECM, which consists mainly of proteoglycans and collagens.

The remodeling of cartilage is predominantly affected by changes and rearrangements of the collagen matrix, which responds to tensile and compressive forces experienced by the cartilage. Cartilage types: Images of microscopic views of the different types of cartilage: elastic, hyaline, and fibrous. There are three major types of cartilage: hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and elastic cartilage.

Hyaline cartilage is the most widespread cartilage type and, in adults, it forms the articular surfaces of long bones, the rib tips, the rings of the trachea, and parts of the skull. This type of cartilage is predominately collagen yet with few collagen fibers , and its name refers to its glassy appearance. In the embryo, bones form first as hyaline cartilage before ossifying as development progresses. Hyaline cartilage is covered externally by a fibrous membrane, called the perichondrium, except at the articular ends of bones; it also occurs under the skin for instance, ears and nose.

Hyaline cartilage is found on many joint surfaces. It contains no nerves or blood vessels, and its structure is relatively simple. If a thin slice of cartilage is examined under the microscope, it will be found to consist of cells of a rounded or bluntly angular form, lying in groups of two or more in a granular or almost homogeneous matrix.

These cells have generally straight outlines where they are in contact with each other, with the rest of their circumference rounded. They consist of translucent protoplasm in which fine interlacing filaments and minute granules are sometimes present. Embedded in this are one or two round nuclei with the usual intranuclear network. Fibrous cartilage has lots of collagen fibers Type I and Type II , and it tends to grade into dense tendon and ligament tissue.

White fibrocartilage consists of a mixture of white fibrous tissue and cartilaginous tissue in various proportions. It owes its flexibility and toughness to the fibrous tissue, and its elasticity to the cartilaginous tissue. It is the only type of cartilage that contains type I collagen in addition to the normal type II.

Fibrocartilage is found in the pubic symphysis, the annulus fibrosus of intervertebral discs, menisci, and the temporal mandibular joint. Elastic or yellow cartilage contains elastic fiber networks and collagen fibers. The principal protein is elastin. Elastic cartilage is histologically similar to hyaline cartilage but contains many yellow elastic fibers lying in a solid matrix.

These fibers form bundles that appear dark under a microscope. They give elastic cartilage great flexibility so it can withstand repeated bending. Chondrocytes lie between the fibers. Elastic cartilage is found in the epiglottis part of the larynx and the pinnae the external ear flaps of many mammals, including humans.

Chondrification also known as chondrogenesis is the process by which cartilage is formed from condensed mesenchyme tissue. A chondrocyte: A chondrocyte, stained for calcium, showing its nucleus N and mitochondria M.



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