Histology: articular cartilage: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Histology: articular cartilage

Sample item

A 22-year-old footballer has a focal full-thickness defect in the articular cartilage of the femoral condyle that heals poorly. Which feature of adult articular cartilage chiefly explains its limited repair?

AIt has no chondrocytes after skeletal maturityBIt is avascular and has no perichondrium, so repair cells cannot reach a defectCIts matrix is mainly type I collagen, which cannot be remodelledDIt is richly vascular, so blood washes repair cells out of a defect

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. It is avascular and has no perichondrium, so repair cells cannot reach a defect

Adult articular cartilage is avascular, aneural and alymphatic and is not covered by perichondrium, so it lacks the progenitor cell source and clot-based repair that other tissues have. Chondrocytes receive nutrients by diffusion from synovial fluid. Defects that breach subchondral bone fill with fibrocartilage, which is inferior to hyaline cartilage.

Option by option

A. It has no chondrocytes after skeletal maturity
Chondrocytes are present in adult cartilage but are sparse and divide poorly.
B. It is avascular and has no perichondrium, so repair cells cannot reach a defect (correct)
Correct. Without vessels or perichondrium, no repair cells or clot reach the defect.
C. Its matrix is mainly type I collagen, which cannot be remodelled
Hyaline cartilage matrix is mainly type II collagen, not type I.
D. It is richly vascular, so blood washes repair cells out of a defect
Cartilage is avascular, so this description is wrong.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is B, It is avascular and has no perichondrium, so repair cells cannot reach a defect. Adult articular cartilage is avascular, aneural and alymphatic and is not covered by perichondrium, so it lacks the progenitor cell source and clot-based repair that other tissues have.

Why is "It has no chondrocytes after skeletal maturity" not the answer?

Chondrocytes are present in adult cartilage but are sparse and divide poorly.

Why is "Its matrix is mainly type I collagen, which cannot be remodelled" not the answer?

Hyaline cartilage matrix is mainly type II collagen, not type I.

Why is "It is richly vascular, so blood washes repair cells out of a defect" not the answer?

Cartilage is avascular, so this description is wrong.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Histology: articular cartilage in Anatomy. Chondrocytes receive nutrients by diffusion from synovial fluid. Defects that breach subchondral bone fill with fibrocartilage, which is inferior to hyaline cartilage.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Histology: articular cartilage?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.