Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Cartilage Disorders
Cartilage is the tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of your bones at a joint. It also gives shape and support to other parts of your body, such as your ears, nose and windpipe. Healthy cartilage helps you move by allowing your bones to glide over each other. It also protects bones by preventing them from rubbing against each other.
Injured, inflamed, or damaged cartilage can cause symptoms such as pain and limited movement. It can also lead to joint damage and deformity. Causes of cartilage problems include :
- Tears and injuries, such as sports injuries
- Genetic factors
- Other disorders, such as some types of arthritis
Osteoarthritis results from breakdown of cartilage.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Cartilage Disorders
413 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Effect of Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Injection on Knee OsteoarthritisXijing Hospital
- Phase 3 Pivotal Trial Comparing CARTISTEM® and Surgical Comparator for Knee Cartilage Lesions and OsteoarthritisMedipost, Inc.
- A Study of MACI in Patients Aged 17 to 65 Years With Symptomatic Chondral or Osteochondral Defects of the AnkleVericel Corporation
- Studies of the Natural History, Pathogenesis, and Outcome of Idiopathic Systemic VasculitisNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
- Serum Fetuin-A and COMP Levels in Knee OsteoarthritisAntalya Training and Research Hospital
- Study of Aerosol Gemcitabine in Patients With Solid Tumors and Pulmonary MetastasesM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Research already completed
- Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Talar Cartilage Thickness in Patients With Spinal Cord InjuryGaziosmanpasa Research and Education Hospital
- Evaluation of the Effect of Biofiller PRP Application on Knee OsteoarthritisNecmettin Erbakan University
- Comparison of Results of Myringoplasty Using Biodesign - an Otologic Graft Made From Porcine Small Intestinal Submucosa, Temporalis Fascia, or Tragal Perichondrium - a Retrospective Cohort AnalysisWolfson Medical Center
- Quantitative Assessment of BB-02 Therapy Effect on Cartilage Status in Patients Affected by Early Knee OsteoarthritisStefano Zaffagnini
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Treatments and Therapies
- ArthroscopyMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Glucosamine: Does It Protect Cartilage in Osteoarthritis?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Related Issues
- Growth Plate InjuriesNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Genetics
- Familial osteochondritis dissecans: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Cartilage DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Polychondritis, RelapsingNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Cartilage Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Cartilage Disorders, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.