Cartilage and Joints

Articular cartilage gives the bone ends a smooth, low-friction, load-spreading surface, and synovial joints combine it with a capsule, ligaments and lubricating fluid to allow controlled movement.

For sport and exercise medicine (SEM), the key fact is that cartilage heals poorly, so chondral and meniscal injuries and osteoarthritis are common and can end careers. This page covers how cartilage and joints are built and how they work, then links that briefly to their common problems.