The healthy hip and knee joint

- Cartilage provides a smooth surface for bones to slide during movement, absorbing shock and spreading loads evenly.
- It lacks pain sensors, so injuries to cartilage may not directly cause pain.
- Cartilage doesn’t have blood vessels; instead, nutrients are delivered via synovial fluid.
- It functions akin to a wet sponge: under pressure, fluids are pressed out, and when relieved, they’re drawn back in.
- When walking or applying loads to joints, cartilage absorbs shock and releases fluids into the surrounding capsule.
- Removal of loads prompts cartilage to reabsorb fluids, maintaining its health.
- In a healthy joint, there’s a balance between cartilage cell degeneration and regeneration.