Normal joint cartilage of femur (below) and patella (above) in the knee joint. Grade 0 on the Outerbridge scale
What is articular cartilage composed of?
The white articular cartilage has a very special internal structure, with the cartilage cells suspended in pockets within a background matrix.
Grading of articular cartilage damage
Surgeons will grade the damage they see through the arthroscope according to the 'Outerbridge' scale.
Articular cartilage damage and arthritis
Articular cartilage is also called joint cartilage or hyaline cartilage. It is damage to the articular cartilage which is called 'arthritis' and in the knee all efforts are geared towards preventing any damage or breakdown of this all-essential joint surface, as it has a poor blood supply and does not heal well if damaged.
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Cartilage disorders -
Classification -
Cartilage repair -
2008 -
eBook - Clearing up confusion about knee cartilage
eBook authored by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor), explaining the difference between articular cartilage and meniscus cartilage. Free to download.