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Within your joint capsules, the ends of
the two bones are covered with a smooth elastic tissue known as
articular cartilage. This prevents your bones from rubbing and
grinding against each other. Cartilage acts as a shock absorber as
well, cushioning the ends of your bones and distributing stress
evenly across your bones. As the cartilage deteriorates, the bone is
less protected, and the sufferer experiences pain upon weight
bearing, walking and standing.
Changes that occur in the cartilage of
people with osteoarthritis include an initial increase in the water
content of the cartilage and changes in the quality and quantity of
collagen bundles. As the condition progresses, the cartilage
fibrillates, there is a loss of cartilage substance, osteophyte
formation and an increased bone density below the area of cartilage
loss.
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