Skeletal System A&P Practice Test

Articular cartilage is the hyaline cartilage that covers the ends of bones in synovial joints. This smooth, load-bearing surface reduces friction and helps distribute forces across the joint during movement. It’s made mainly of type II collagen and proteoglycans, with chondrocytes embedded in lacunae, and it’s avascular and aneural, getting its nutrients from the synovial fluid. Other structures in the joint have different roles: the periosteum coats the outer surface of bone, the endosteum lines the internal bone cavities, and the synovium lines the joint capsule and produces synovial fluid. The specific cartilage covering the bone ends in a synovial joint is articular cartilage.