Why can't hyaline cartilage repair itself when damaged?

• A. Rich blood supply
• B. No blood or nerve supply
• C. Is vascularized but aneural
• D. Has strong nerve supply

Answer: (B)

Hyaline cartilage in joints cannot repair itself because it is avascular and aneural. Without blood vessels or nerves to bring in cells, nutrients, and growth factors, the damaged area has almost no ability to initiate a true healing response. Nutrients reach the cartilage mainly by diffusion from the synovial fluid, which supports only low metabolic activity of chondrocytes. In articular cartilage, there is little to no perichondrium to supply progenitor cells either, so repair is limited and any new tissue is typically fibrocartilage rather than the original hyaline cartilage.