Question

All the statements about healthy articular cartilage are correct except:

• A. \( \text{It is devoid of nerves} \)
• B. \( \text{It is a hyaline cartilage} \)
• C. \( \text{It is not visible on X-ray} \)
• D. \( \text{It is vascular} \)

Hint:

\textbf{Anatomy and Physiology: Articular Cartilage.} Remember the key characteristics of articular cartilage: it's a type of hyaline cartilage that is avascular and aneural, relying on diffusion for its nutrition and contributing to smooth, low-friction joint movement. Its radiolucency explains why joint space narrowing on X-ray is an indirect sign of cartilage loss.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Let's evaluate each statement about healthy articular cartilage: \begin{itemize} \item (1) It is devoid of nerves: Articular cartilage is indeed aneural, meaning it does not contain nerves. This contributes to the fact that early cartilage damage in conditions like osteoarthritis can be painless. \item (2) It is a hyaline cartilage: Articular cartilage is a specialized type of hyaline cartilage, characterized by its smooth, glassy matrix that provides a low-friction surface for joint movement. \item (3) It is not visible on X-ray: Cartilage is radiolucent, meaning it does not absorb X-rays to a significant extent due to its high water content and lack of calcification in healthy tissue. Therefore, it is not directly visible on standard X-ray images; the joint space seen on X-ray represents the space occupied by the articular cartilage. \item (4) It is vascular: Articular cartilage is avascular, meaning it does not contain blood vessels. It receives nutrients and oxygen primarily through diffusion from the synovial fluid and the subchondral bone. The lack of vascularity contributes to its limited capacity for self-repair. \end{itemize} Therefore, the statement that is NOT correct about healthy articular cartilage is that it is vascular.