Cartilage is avascular and aneural. Which statement about cartilage is true?

• A. It contains no blood vessels or nerves
• B. It has a rich blood supply
• C. It contains many nerves
• D. It is highly vascularized by surrounding tissue

Answer: (A)

Cartilage relies on diffusion for nutrients and waste removal because it contains no blood vessels or nerves. The cells, chondrocytes, sit in lacunae within a gelatinous extracellular matrix, and nutrients come from the surrounding perichondrium or joint fluid by diffusion through the matrix. The perichondrium may have blood vessels, but those vessels don’t extend into the cartilage proper, so there are no vessels or nerves inside the cartilage itself. This is why the statement is true. It also explains why cartilage heals slowly when injured, since healing depends on diffusion rather than direct blood supply. The other options imply internal vascularization or innervation that cartilage doesn’t have.