From the Research
Cartilage does not have a blood supply, as it is an avascular tissue that lacks blood vessels to directly deliver oxygen and nutrients. This characteristic is crucial to understand in the context of joint health, as it explains why cartilage-related injuries and conditions often heal slowly or incompletely 1. The provided evidence focuses on implantable drug delivery systems, which are not directly related to the question of cartilage blood supply. However, it is essential to note that the lack of blood supply in cartilage is a well-established fact in the medical field.
- Cartilage cells (chondrocytes) receive their nutrition through diffusion from the surrounding synovial fluid and adjacent tissues.
- The avascular nature of cartilage is why cartilage has very limited healing capacity when damaged.
- When cartilage injuries occur, such as in joint trauma or degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis, the tissue cannot easily repair itself. The most recent and highest quality study is not directly related to the question, but the fact that cartilage is avascular is widely accepted in the medical field, and the provided evidence does not contradict this fact 2, 3, 4, 5.