articular cartilage

If one looks at the microscopic structure of cartilage one will see that it is composed primarily of a slippery white 'matrix' (imagine a contact lens - flexible and slippy but strong) which is strengthened by the incorporation of randomly arranged collagen fibrils (tiny fibres). Within the matrix are a relatively few cartilage cells ('chondrocytes') and they are suspended, apart from one another, within small 'bubbles' called lacunae within the matrix. You can see a picture here.

In the 'in-depth review' section of the KNEEguru website there is a desk-based study on this topic researched by Karen Hambly - see Do glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate work? - this will open in a new window - to return to this page just close that new window -