Page 6 - Osteoarthritis

vessels to the general area of the cartilage. Because

cartilage is avascular, the raw materials are not

brought directly to the site of damage but rather

exit the blood vessels some distance away. They

then have to diffuse to their target area. This is far

less efficient and takes far longer than if the blood

vessels brought the raw materials directly to the site

of damage.

Recent research has shown that the changes seen

in osteoarthritis do not actually begin with the

cartilage. They actually begin in the underlying

bone. The structural integrity of both bone and

cartilage are maintained by a tough fibrous protein

named collagen. Cartilage is made up of type two

collagen and bone is made up of type one collagen.

What this essentially means is that when these two

forms of collagen, as well as other forms of fibrous

tissue present, begin to break down, structural and

physiological changes happen to the tissues that

lead to arthritis and their two main problems: Pain

and restriction of motion.

When the cartilage breaks down, the bones rub

together, damaging the bony tissue. Any time you

damage vascularized tissue (Tissue with blood