Articular cartilage is the smooth white tissue that is attached to the two ends of the bones in all our joints and acts as a shock absorber to prevent the bones from rubbing against each other during any physical activity. Healthy cartilage in the joints makes movement very smooth, it lets the bones in the joint glide and move over each other without any friction. When articular cartilage is damaged due to trauma or gradual wear down, joint movements become very painful and limited due to severe pain in the affected area. This can lead to disability over time.
A damaged cartilage in not automatically repaired by the body. Cartilage unlike most tissues in the body, does not have it’s own blood supply for the damaged tissue to repair itself and provide factors for self rejuvenation. The main tissue in the joint cartilage is called Hyaline cartilage. When this tissue gets damaged the surface is not smooth anymore. So when bones move along this rough and damaged surface of the joint it causes pain.
Doctors have developed surgical techniques to stimulate the growth of new cartilage. The aim of cartilage restoration process is to trigger new hyaline cartilage growth. Restoring hyaline cartilage can stop the pain and allow better movement and delay the onset of arthritis. Surgical techniques to repair the damaged cartilage are still under process.
GLME(Green lipped muscle extract) is a very good option to stop the cartilage from further damage. This halts the damage already done to the joint and tries to rejuvenate the cartilage and the joint function as much as possible.
