You are on page 1of 20

Ajman University of Science & Technology

Fa lt off Dentistry
Faculty D ti tr
Histology & Cell Biology
08 01 112
Dr. A
Al-Moutassem Billah K Khair

Cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a semi-rigid, avascular, form of supporting tissue
that consists of chondrocytes and an extensive matrix which is
produced and maintained by the chondrocytes.
- The characteristics of cartilage are mainly because of the nature and
abundance of ground substance. Proteoglycans form aggregates, of one hundred
or more molecules, that make upp the gground substance and account ffor the
solid, yet flexible, consistency of cartilage. Proteoglycan aggregates mainly
consist of chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate with hyaluronic acid forming
the
h centrall backbone
b kb off the h matrix.
i
- The solvation water of ground substance acts as a shock absorber or
biomechanical spring,
spring which is of great functional importance,
importance especially in
articular cartilage.
Cartilage
- Cartilage is devoid of blood or lymphatic vessels (also nerves) and exchange of
metabolites between chondrocytes and surrounding tissues depends on
diffusion through the water of the ground substance.
substance This limits the cartilage
thickness and in sites of thick cartilage, cartilage canals convey small vessels
into the centre off the cartilage
g mass.
- Cartilage is found in specific locations in the body and forms structures that
have characteristic shapes. In adults, cartilage is found on the articular
surfaces of long bones and in the trachea, bronchi, nose, ears, larynx and
intervertebral disks. In the fetus, most long bones are initially represented by
cartilage models that resemble the shape of the adult bones.
bones
- Three different types of cartilage are distinguished on the basis of matrix
characteristics: * Hyaline
y cartilage
g ((a homogeneous
g amorphous
p matrix)
x)
** Elastic cartilage (elastic fibers and elastic lamellae)
*** Fibrocartilage (large bundles of type I collagen)
Cartilage
C til development
Cartilage d l t & growth:
th
Cartilage is developed by the differentiation of stellate-shaped primitive
mesenchymal cells to form a mass of rounded,rounded closely packed cells.
cells This
aggregate of cells is called a blastema of precartilage “protochondral tissue”.
The cells of the blastema, although in close apposition, begin to secrete cartilage
matrix and then referred to as chondroblasts. They progressively move apart as
they deposit matrix. When the cells have become completely surrounded by
matrix,
t i then
th they
th are known
k as chondrocytes.
h d t This Thi differentiation
diff ti ti andd
maturation sequence is most advanced in the centre of a growing cartilage.
The mature cartilage mass consists of chondrocytes embedded in a large amount
of extracellular matrix. Around the mature cartilage is a layer of condensed
connective tissue called perichondrium containing chondroblasts.
The growth of cartilage occurs by interstitial growth form within &
appositional growth at the periphery.
Cartilage
g
) Appositional growth, the process that forms new cartilage cells from the
i
inner portion
ti off the
th surrounding
di perichondrium.
ih di Ch d bl t proliferate
Chondroblasts lif t andd
become chondrocytes once they have surrounded themselves with matrix and
are incorporated
p into the existing
x g cartilage.
g The new ffibroblasts,, at the same
time, are produced to maintain the perichondrium.
) Interstitial growth, the process that forms new cartilage from division of
chondrocytes within their lacunae. The daughter cells of the dividing
chondrocytes temporarily occupy the same lacuna, but they become separated
as each secretes new matrix material.
material The matrix forms partition between cells,
cells
and each cell occupies its own lacuna.
Thus, the overall growth is a reflection of the new matrix, that has been
formed both interstitially and appositionally.
Cartilage
Chondrocytes:
- At the pe
periphery
iphe y of young cacartilage
tilage the chond
chondrocytes
ocytes have an elliptic shape,
with long axis parallel to the surface, while in centre they are round shape.
- Chondrocytes vary in appearance according to their activity. Active cells
have the fine structure typical of cells that synthesize large amounts of protein
and polysaccharide (matrix materials) for secretion from the cell. In older, less
active cells,
cells have reduced structure of synthesize activity.
activity
- Chondrocytes are located in matrix cavities known as lacunae.
- During the last phase of growth,
growth in adult cartilage,
cartilage the chondrocytes form
compact groups (row) by a consequence of several successive divisions, without
g
significant additional matrix production. Such ggroups of chondrocytes (up to 8
cells) are called isogenous group.
Cartilage
Perichondrium:
- It consists of dense connective tissue whose cells are indistinguishable from
fib bl
fibroblasts. I is
It i more than
h simply
i l a covering
i capsule, l however,
h b
because i
it
serves as the source of new cartilage cells.
- It is rich in collagen type I fibers and contains numerous fibroblasts.
fibroblasts In the
inner layer cells are chondroblasts, which easily differentiate into chondrocytes.
- It contains the vascular supply
pp y ffor the avascular cartilage
g and also contains
nerve and lymphatic vessels.
- It is found around:
*all hyaline cartilage except in articular cartilage of joints, nasal and
costal cartilage, and in forming bone;
** elastic cartilage;
*** fibrocartilage has no perichondrium.
Cartilage
Hyaline cartilage:
It is bluish opalescent tissue that is widely distributed in the body and forms
the most abundant type of cartilage in the adult.
- It is found in the nasal septum, larynx, tracheal rings, most articular
surfaces and the sternal ends of ribs.
- The matrix of hyaline cartilage appears in living state “glassy”. It consists of
two components, collagen fibrils (mainly type II) and ground substance.
Collagen fibrils thin ≈ 20 nm in diameter and are arranged in a three-
dimensional felt-like pattern. In some locations, however, the collagen fibrils
are thicker and may display banding.
banding Ground substance reveals the presence of
three kinds of glycosaminoglycans hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and
keratan sulfate. Throughout the matrix there are lacunae, containing
chondrocytes.
- Mature hyaline cartilage is characterized by isogenous groups.
Cartilage
Elastic cartilage:
- It is found in the external ear (auricle), in the walls of the external auditory
canall andd the
h auditory
di “E
“Eustachian”
hi ” tube,
b ini the
h epiglottis,
i l i andd in i the
h larynx.
l
- Components of elastic cartilage as in hyaline cartilage plus elastic fibers and
interconnecting sheets of elastic material.
material It gives the cartilage elastic
properties in addition to the resilience and pliability that are characteristic of
hyaline cartilage.
- Elastic cartilage in fresh statement has yellowish color, because of the
presence of elastin protein.
- In all locations there is surrounding perichondrium, such as that found
around most hyaline cartilage.
- Unlike
U lik hyaline
h li cartilage,
il h
however, the
h matrix
i off elastic
l i cartilage
il d not
does
calcify.
Cartilage
Fibrocartilage:
- It has features intermediate between cartilage and dense fibrous connective
tissue.
i
- It consists of alternating layers of hyaline cartilage matrix and thick layers
of dense collagen fibers oriented in the direction of the functional stresses.
stresses
- It is less cellular than hyaline cartilage or elastic cartilage. Chondrocytes are
either single
g or in isogenous
g ggroups,
p , usuallyy arranged
g in longg rows separated
p
by bundles of collagen type I.
- It contains fewer glycosaminoglycans and many more collagen fibers.
- It is found in the intervertebral disks, some articular cartilage, the pubic
symphysis, and in association with dense collagenous tissues in joint capsules,
li
ligaments andd the
h connections
i off some tendons
d to bone.
b
- It has no perichondrium (may by because it is not found alone).
C
Cartilage
g
Intervertebral disks:
k
Intervertebral disks exist
between ve vertebral
teb al bodies in
the spinal column. It consists
off an outer layer y off
fibrocartilage called “annulus
ffibrosus” and a core off a
special liquid connective tissue
called “nucleus pulposus”.
Cartilage
C til repair:
Cartilage i
The ability of cartilage to repair itself is limited. Repair is due to activity
of the perichondrium mainly and usually only during the period of growth in
young individuals. In adults, the cells of the perichondrium proliferate to
initiate repair, but few cartilage cells, if any, are produced. The repair mostly
involves the production of dense connective tissue “fibroses scar”.
Calcification of cartilage & replacement by bone:
It is a process in which calcium phosphate crystals become impregnated
in the cartilage matrix. Hyaline cartilage when calcified is generally replaced
b bone.
by b It occurs in three
h cases:
a) Calcification of the portion of articular cartilage that is in contact with bone tissue;
b) calcification
l ifi ti in i cartilage
rtil that
th t is
i about
b t to
t be
b replaced
r l d byb bone
b “endochondral
d h dr l ossification
ifi ti ”;
c) as a part of the aging process.

You might also like