Official websites use .gov
A
.gov website belongs to an official
government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you've safely
connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
information only on official, secure websites.
Aggrecan, produced by chondrocytes, carries a strong negative charge. The resulting repulsion (electrical and osmotic, represented by the small red arrows) gives cartilage a tendency to swell.22 The collagen network within the cartilage (anchored to the underlying bone) provides cartilage with tensile strength and constrains the swelling and release of aggrecan to the joint space.22 The collagen is therefore normally under tension (large red arrows). Illustration not to scale.
