Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Nutrients reach cartilage only by diffusion, which slows its repair. The figure is taken from OrthoInfo AAOS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a human body fact?

Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves

Nutrients reach cartilage only by diffusion, which slows its repair Articular cartilage is made of chondrocytes scattered in a dense matrix of collagen and proteoglycans. Because no vessels run through it, oxygen and nutrients must seep in from the joint fluid. This is why cartilage injuries heal poorly compared with bone or skin. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

OrthoInfo AAOS

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Science trivia

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Tags: cartilage, joints, repair

Cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Nutrients reach cartilage only by diffusion, which slows its repair. The figure is taken from OrthoInfo AAOS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?: Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.