What are Cartilage and Dense Connective Tissues?
Dense connective tissue is mostly comprised of collagen, a protein
made by cells called fibroblasts. Dense connective tissue can be
arranged into ligaments, tendons, fascia and fibrocartilage.
• Ligaments connect two bones across a joint. Ligaments are the
continuous joint stabilizers.
• Tendons attach muscle to bone across a joint.
• Muscles and tendons move joints and can stabilize joints only during
muscle contraction. Muscles are dynamic joint stabilizers.
• Fibrocartilage is a protective dense connective tissue within joints,
such as a meniscus.
Another type of connective tissue is hyaline cartilage, which protects
the surfaces of bones in freely moving joints by decreasing friction and
absorbing shock.
Chronic pain from tendons, ligaments, and joints is often due to a
degenerative process of these tissues, not an inflammatory process:
The body has a difficult time maintaining the health of dense
connective and cartilage tissues in joints, ligaments and tendons. The
reason is that these structures do not have a good blood supply,
which also explains why musculoskeletal injuries take weeks to months
to heal.
Sprains (ligaments) and strains (tendons) are the result of acute or
repetitive injury causing a partial or complete tear of the tissue. The
majority of healing occurs in the first eight weeks after an injury. During
this time new collagen is made to replace the damaged fibers. Next,
the tissue thickens and tightens and hopefully the new tissue is as
strong as the old.
However, connective tissue strength often only recovers 50 or 60
percent of preinjury strength. If the tissue does not have sufficient
tensile strength, or is too loose, a scar forms which does not restore
function. When this happens, the nerve receptors in the scarred tissue
continue to fire pain signals. In the case of joints, lack of stability by
poorly healed ligaments leads to muscle spasm and predisposition for
the early-onset of arthritis later in life.
As such, musculoskeletal injuries result in increased susceptibility to
reinjury and chronic low grade pain. Damage to ligaments and
tendons that are not fully repaired lead to a cycle as reinjury causing
further weakening, which results in reinjury. As time goes on strength
and stability continue to decrease until chronic pain occurs.
Next
Dense connective tissue is mostly comprised of collagen, a protein
made by cells called fibroblasts. Dense connective tissue can be
arranged into ligaments, tendons, fascia and fibrocartilage.
• Ligaments connect two bones across a joint. Ligaments are the
continuous joint stabilizers.
• Tendons attach muscle to bone across a joint.
• Muscles and tendons move joints and can stabilize joints only during
muscle contraction. Muscles are dynamic joint stabilizers.
• Fibrocartilage is a protective dense connective tissue within joints,
such as a meniscus.
Another type of connective tissue is hyaline cartilage, which protects
the surfaces of bones in freely moving joints by decreasing friction and
absorbing shock.
Chronic pain from tendons, ligaments, and joints is often due to a
degenerative process of these tissues, not an inflammatory process:
The body has a difficult time maintaining the health of dense
connective and cartilage tissues in joints, ligaments and tendons. The
reason is that these structures do not have a good blood supply,
which also explains why musculoskeletal injuries take weeks to months
to heal.
Sprains (ligaments) and strains (tendons) are the result of acute or
repetitive injury causing a partial or complete tear of the tissue. The
majority of healing occurs in the first eight weeks after an injury. During
this time new collagen is made to replace the damaged fibers. Next,
the tissue thickens and tightens and hopefully the new tissue is as
strong as the old.
However, connective tissue strength often only recovers 50 or 60
percent of preinjury strength. If the tissue does not have sufficient
tensile strength, or is too loose, a scar forms which does not restore
function. When this happens, the nerve receptors in the scarred tissue
continue to fire pain signals. In the case of joints, lack of stability by
poorly healed ligaments leads to muscle spasm and predisposition for
the early-onset of arthritis later in life.
As such, musculoskeletal injuries result in increased susceptibility to
reinjury and chronic low grade pain. Damage to ligaments and
tendons that are not fully repaired lead to a cycle as reinjury causing
further weakening, which results in reinjury. As time goes on strength
and stability continue to decrease until chronic pain occurs.
Next
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| Vermont Naturopathic Clinic Sam Russo ND, LAc 321 Main St. Suite C Winooski, VT 05404 802-859-0000 info@naturopathicvermont.com |