Cartilage

Definition of Cartilage:

Specialized fibrous connective tissue that forms the skeleton of an embryo and much of the skeleton in an infant.  As the child grows, the cartilage becomes bone.  In adults, cartilage is present in and around joints and makes up the primary skeletal structure in some parts of the body, such as the ears and the tip of the nose.

Topics Related to Cartilage

Arthritis

...related topic
“...Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.”

Bindweed

...as a treatment
“...The proteoglycan mixture (PGM) found in bindweed has tested 100 times more effective at preventing new blood vessel growth than shark cartilage by weight...”
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More topics Related to Cartilage

Bone Cancer

...the condition
“...Most bone cancers are called sarcomas, cancers that develop predominantly from bone, cartilage, muscle, fibrous tissue, fatty tissue, or nerve tissue...”

Collagen

...related topic
“The primary protein within white fibers of connective tissue and the organic substance found in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, teeth and bone.”

Costochronditis

...the condition
“...Costochondritis is the inflammation of the cartilage where the ribs attach to the breastbone (sternum)...”
...recommendation Conventional Drug Use
“Cortisone shots are one way of reducing the inflammation of costochondritis but repeated injections are not recommended as they are said to weaken the cartilage after extended periods of use.”

Dehydration

...our question about Joint pain/swelling/stiffness
“Joint cartilage is composed 70%-80% of water, a lack of which will lead to increased friction, degeneration and damage...”

Glucosamine

...related topic
“A compound manufactured from glucose used in building cartilage.”

Glucosamine / Chondroitin Sulfate

...as a treatment
“Glucosamine is a key compound of the substance that makes up connective tissue such as cartilage.  Chondroitin sulfate should be equally effective, but is more expensive and recent product evaluations showed some did not contain the chondroitin claimed on the label...”

Gout / Hyperuricemia

...the condition
“...Tophi (small nodules consisting of uric acid and inflammatory tissues) may be seen on the ear cartilage and along tendons.”

Heberden's Nodes

...relationship to Osteoarthritis
“...Over time, the cartilage that serves as a cushion between the bones may completely wear away, causing the bones to rub against each other...”

Hot Applications (Thermotherapy)

...as a treatment
“...A frequently painful condition in which the cartilage (the tough, elastic, fibrous connective tissue) of an intervertebral disc (discs that serve as cushions between the vertebrae) bulges through its protective covering and presses on a nerve...”

Hyaluronic Acid

...as a treatment
“...It is an important component of articular cartilage, where it is present as a coat around each cell...”

Intervertebral Disc

...related topic
“The discs in the spine are layers of cartilage that separate adjacent vertebrae...”

L-Lysine

...as a treatment
“...It is necessary for proper growth and helps form collagen which comprises bone cartilage and connective tissues...”

L-Proline

...as a treatment
“...Proline has anti-aging properties; heals cartilage, strengthens joints and tendons; improves elasticity of and strengthens the heart muscle.”

Manganese

...as a treatment
“...Manganese is also required for proper bone and cartilage formation and some reports have shown that women with osteoporosis tend to have low blood manganese levels...”

Neck Arthritis

...the condition
“...The vertebrae in the neck, known anatomically as the cervical vertebrae, begin to degenerate, accompanied by degeneration in the flexible disks of shock-absorbing cartilage that fit between them...”

Osteoarthritis

...the condition
“Alternative names: Wear-and-tear arthritis, Degenerative joint disease, Degenerative arthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease in which cartilage breaks down over time, causing pain, inflammation and stiffness in the joints...”
...related topic
“A condition involving degeneration of cartilage and supporting joint tissue, which results in pain, swelling and reduced mobility, as the cartilage wears away and allows bone to rub against bone.”
...our question about Your muscle/body fat composition
“...There is also evidence that extra fats play a part in the degeneration of joint cartilage.”
...relationship to Manganese Requirement
“Bone cartilage can't grow or repair itself adequately without manganese – an essential part of glucosamine, which is in turn a major joint building block...”
...recommendation Hyaluronic Acid
“...It has also been suggested that hyaluronan has positive biochemical effects on cartilage cells.  However, some placebo controlled studies have cast doubt on the efficacy of hyaluronan injections, and hyaluronan is recommended primarily as a last alternative to surgery.”
...recommendation Boron
“...It is obvious that in osteoarthritis the cartilage is worn out; if it is because it lacks the necessary energy for cell division, that would explain the action of boron...”
...recommendation Glucosamine / Chondroitin Sulfate
“...placebo and standard arthritis drugs (including Ibuprofen) have shown that glucosamine outperformed both in reducing long-term pain, joint tenderness and swelling, accelerating recovery, reversing cartilage damage, and helping to restore joint function, range of motion, and walking speed...”
...recommendation Prolotherapy
“Prolotherapy is the best and often only treatment when ligaments are weakened and cartilage damaged.  As good as some of the other treatments are for pain, nothing seems to come close to the effectiveness of Prolotherapy...”
...recommendation Rose Hip
“...A review of studies, published in the medical journal, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, looked at the effect of the powder on more than 300 patients who were given different pain-relieving medications for an average of three months...”
...recommendation Vitamin E
“...Later studies have shown that vitamin E has an ability to inhibit the enzymatic breakdown of cartilage as well as to stimulate cartilage synthesis.”
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More topics Related to Cartilage

Osteochondritis

...related topic
“Inflammation of a bone and its cartilage.”

Ovarian Cysts

...the condition
“...Examples include ... Dermoid cyst – which consists of a growth filled with various types of tissue such as fatty material, hair, teeth, bits of bone and cartilage...”

Poor Bone Health

...the condition
“...There are a multitude of ways to support the health of joints and bones, deterring the onset of serious deterioration of both bone and cartilage.  If you start with the basics (a healthy diet and regular exercise) and add proper supplementation, then you are off to a great start...”

Post-Polio Syndrome

...the condition
“...Some, after medical evaluation, are found to have arthritis, tendonitis and cartilage damage, all of which can occur in the aging process but which are more common when movement and weight-bearing have been altered by the effects of weakened muscles...”

Psoriatic Arthritis

...the condition
“...However, this treatment can only be used rarely, since corticosteroids can weaken the cartilage and remove the minerals from (and therefore weaken) the bone, resulting in further joint weakness...”

Rheumatoid Arthritis

...the condition
“...This clear fluid protects, lubricates, supports, and nourishes the cartilage and bones inside the joint capsule...”
...recommendation Boron
“...It does alleviate and seems to cure arthritis either by acting against whatever organism may cause rheumatoid diseases and/or as a membrane catalyst that permits repair of damaged cartilage and collagen.”
...recommendation MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)
“...In an animal study on rheumatoid arthritis-like joint degeneration, MSM was effective in reducing joint inflammation, and completely prevented the breakdown of cartilage.  According to Dr. Stanley Jacobs, MD, MSM can be helpful in most musculoskeletal pain and inflammation, including rheumatoid arthritis.”

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)

...as a treatment
“...In a trial involving 22,000 patients, SAMe was as effective as NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, and Nalfon but, unlike these, instead of speeding the breakdown of cartilage, it helps to restore this and indeed may be preventative in the development of degenerative arthritis that most of us will get as we become older...”

Silicon

...related topic
“...Silicon containing substances are found in all cartilage and in the material binding cells together...”

TMJ Problems

...the condition
“...Internal derangement includes cartilage disc displacements, clicking, popping, stretched or torn ligaments, perforated discs, infection/inflammation of the capsule or tissues, and adhesions of the cartilage to the socket of the...”

Trachea

...related topic
“The cartilage tube that brings air from the larynx to the two bronchi that enter the lungs...”

Vitamin A Requirement

...the condition
“...Vitamin A is essential for innumerable biological functions – night and color vision, wound healing, bone and tooth formation, healthy skin, normal growth, reproductive and adrenal function, cartilage development, mucous membranes/secretions and lactation...”

Vitamin D Requirement

...the condition
“...Bone growth occurs through the creation of new cartilage, a soft substance at the ends of bones...”

X-ray

...as a treatment
“...Worn cartilage in the joints, and bones touching other bones, is indicative of osteoarthritis...”
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