Cartilage & Bone

Learning outcomes

1. Describe the structure of cartilage.

2. Describe the types of cartilage.
3. Explain the process of cartilage growth.
4. be the structure of bone.
5. Describe the types of bone.
6. Explain the process of bone growth and bone repair
7. Name the major bones of the body.
 Cartilage
Type of connective tissue

Matrix
• fine collagen
• elastin
Cells Fibers
• thick collagen
• Chondroblasts
• Chondrocytes Ground substance
Water
Chondrotin sulfates
Hyaluronic acid
Perichondrium – covering of the
cartilage

Collagen fibers, fibroblasts and chondroblasts

Blood vessels, nerves & lymphatic vessels

Supply nutrients by diffusion to the avascular

cartilage
Chondroblasts Developed from
fibroblasts

Chondrocytes
Chondrocytes
• Usually in pairs

• Lies within a cavity ( lacunae)

• Synthesize collagen & ground substance
• Activity depends on growth hormone from the anterior pituitary
 Cartilage matrix

Water
Thin collagen fibers – hyaline cartilage
Hyaluronic acid
Elastic fibers - elastic cartilage
Proteglycans
Thick collagen fibers - fibrocartilage
Glycoproteins
Hyaline cartilage
• Epiphyseal plate
• Articular cartilage
• Larynx & trachea
• Fetal cartilage
Elastic cartilage
• External ear &
epiglottis
Fibrocartilage
• Intervertebral discs &
menisci of knee joint
Cartilage growth

Appositional growth – New

chondrocytes are derived from
differentiation of perichondral
fibroblasts

Interstitial growth – division of the

existing chondrocytes

Occurs in cartilages where there is no perichondrium

Epiphyseal plate & articular cartilage
 Bone
Type of connective tissue

Bone matrix

Fibers

Collagen type I

Ground substance
Cells
• Osteoblasts
Organic Inorganic
• Osteocytes
Proteglycans & glycoproteins Calcium & phosphorus as
• Osteoclasts
hydroxyapatite crystals
Periosteum & Endosteum

• Single layer of osteoprogenitor

cells and collagen
• Lines the internal cavities of
bone

• External covering of bones

• Two layers – 1. Outer fibrous layer ( collagen &
fibroblasts)
2. Inner osteogenic layer
Functions:
(Osteoprogenitor cells)
1. Nutrition of bone tissue
• Attached to bone by Sharpey’s fibers ( bundles of 2. Supply of bone forming cells
collagen fibers)
Osteoblasts
• Developed form the periosteal & endosteal osteoprogenitor cells
• Large cells with single nuclei
• Synthesize collagen, proteglycans & glycoproteins
• Necessary for calcium deposition
• Produce new non-calcified bone ( Osteoid)
Osteocytes

• Derived from osteoblasts

• Lies in spaces ( lacunae) in bone matrix
• Have ctoplasmic processes
• Maintains the bone matrix
• Long lived cells
 Osteoclasts
• Large cells
• Multinucleated
• Derived from the haematopoetic stem
cells of the macrophage line
• Breakdown the bone matrix
( bone resorption)

• Resorptive surface lies in a depression

( resorption bay or Howship’s lacunae)
• Resorptive surface is folded ( ruffled )
• Secrets lysosomal enzymes that digest organic matrix
• Secretes H ions that dissolves Ca salts
• Phagoctose deminarilizes matrix & dead osteocytes
Types of bone
Classified based on
shape
1. Long bone
2. Short bone
3. Flat bone
4. Irregular bone

Sesamoid bones:
bones embedded in
a tendon
( e.g. Patella)
 Texture of bone

• Compact bone – dense, solid, smooth & no spaces

• Spongy bone – honeycomb appearance with small

needle like or flat pieces of bone (trabeculae) with
spaces in-between trabeculae
spongy = trabecular = cancellous

Long bone

Flat bone
 Microscopic arrangement of compact bone
Structural unit is the Osteon
(Haversian system)

An elongated tube of
bone matrix with
concentrically arranged
lamellae of bone
surrounding a canal
containing blood vessels,
nerves & lymphatic
The canal is lined by
endosteum
 Microscopic arrangement of compact bone

Haversian canals
communicate with
1. One another
2. Periosteum
3. Marrow cavity

Volkmann’s
cannals
• No lamellae around it
• Lined by endosteum
 Osteon ( Haversian system)

Arrangement of osteocytes

• Occupy spaces (lacunae)

at the junctions of adjacent
lamellae
• Minutes canals (canaliculi)
connect lacunae with each
other & with central canal
• Ctoplasmic processes of
osteocytes are in contact
with each other and with the
central canal by way of
canaliculi.
Microscopic structure of spongy bone

• Irregullarly arranged lamellae in the trabeculae

• Ostyocytes lie in lacunae
• Lacunae has canaliculi
• No haversian systems
 Parts of a long bone
• Diaphysis – compact bone surrounding a marrow cavity
• Epiphysis – outer layer of compact bone & interior spongy bone. Joint
surface
covered with hyaline cartilage.
• Metaphysis – area of meeting of diaphysis & epiphysis
Blood supply of bone

 Nutrient artery
• Medullary branches
• Periosteal branches
 Epiphyseal artery

Richest blood supply is in the

region of metaphysis
 Bone formation ( Ossification –Osteogenesis)

Foetal skeleton ( before 8 weeks) Hyaline cartilage

Fibrous membranes
Endochondral
ossification

Intramembranous
ossification
 Intramembranous ossification

1. Mesenchymal cells differentiate to osteblasts

2. Osteblasts secrete osteoid. Osteoid calcify

3. Blood vessels grow into the osteoid.

Covering mesenchyma becomes the periosteum

4. External layer of compact bone formed.

Spongy bone at the center

Bones of the skull cap & clavicle

Endochondral ossification
1. Bone collar formed
2. Cartilage is calcified.
Then destroyed.
3. Periosteal bud invades.
Osteoblasts reach the
center. Osteoid formed
4. Medullary cavity
formed.
5 Osteoid is calcified

All bones except that of the skull cap &

Primary center – daiphysis
clavicle
Secondary center- epiphysis
Bone growth
Epiphyseal side
1. Growth zone – cartilage cells multiply

2. Transformation zone-Cartilage cells

enlarge. Matrix calcified
Epiphyseal plate Cartilage cells die

3.Osteogenic zone- Osteblasts secrete

osteoid
Osteoclasts remove the calcified
cartilage

Diaphyseal side
Bone growth
Epiphyseal side

Epiphyseal plate Thickness remains constant

On reaching adulthood
1. Cartilage cell growth slows down & stops
2. Epiphyseal plate become thinner & thinner
and disappear
3. Linear growth stops

Diaphyseal side
Bone Repair Occurs when a bone is broken ( Fracture)

1. Blood clot forms. Bone cells die

2. Dead tissue removed. Fibroblasts invade. Some change to chondroblasts.
Collagen & cartilage formed ( soft callus)
3. Osteblasts invade. Cartilage removed. Replaced by bone ( bony callus)
4. Excess bone is removed. Bone is remodelled
Bones of the body
Axial skeleton
• skull
• vertebral column
• ribs & sternum

Appendicular skeleton
• Upper limb
• Lower limb
Skull bones

Vault

Base

Face
Vertebral column Ribs & sternum

Cervical 7

Thoracic 12

Lumbar 5

Sacral 5

Coccygeal 4
Upper Lower
limb limb