A gymnastics student lands awkwardly and hurts her ankle. After MRI scan, it was revealed that she has a torn cartilage. The hea
lth care worker states it may take up to 3 to 4 months for this injury to heal. The basic physiologic reason behind the prolonged recovery is due to the fact that cartilage is/has primarily: a) the main secretor of an extracellular matrix
b) avascular
c) low tensil strength
d) lacking minerals
Blood supply is an important factor necessary for quick healing of an injury. The cartilage is <em><u>an avascular tissue</u></em>, meaning there is no blood supply to the cartilage.
The prolonged recovery of this injury is basically due to the physiological fact that the cartilage is avascular. Tissues that have blood supply heal faster when damaged, when compared to damaged cartilages lacking blood supply.
