Skeleton intervertebral discs. It is not as hard and rigid as bone but is stiffer and less flexible than muscle. Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called chondrocytes that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of Type II collagen (except Fibrocartilage which also contains type I collagen) fibers, abundant ground substance rich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Cartilage is classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, which differ in the relative amounts of these three main components. Unlike other connective tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. The chondrocytes are supplied by diffusion, helped by the
Artificial cartilage requirements of artificial cartilage. Clinical application is extremely important to consider when looking at the efficacy of artificial cartilage. The recent clinical approaches for cartilage regeneration in Osteoarthritis treatment is described below. In certain studies, matrix-induces mesenchymal stem cell implantation showed earlier clinical improvements when compared to simple implantation of chondrocytes. The MSCs promoted cartilage regeneration in knees that had osteoarthritis and also reduced pain and disability. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were used in this study. It was difficult to meet the mechanical properties of articular cartilage using this hydrogel. There was no inflammatory or degenerative changes in articular cartilage