Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Apr-Jun;66(2):291-311.
doi: 10.47162/RJME.66.2.03.

Short histological kaleidoscope - recent findings in histology. Part V. About tendons, ligaments, and cartilages

Elena Mihaela Jianu  1 , Carmen Mihaela Mihu, Rada Teodora Sufleţel, Carmen Bianca Crivii, Anne Marie Constantin, Lavinia Patricia Mocan, Ioana Maria Orlea, Roxana Adelina Ştefan, Paul Andrei Ştefan, Andrei Coneac, Mădălin Mihai Onofrei, Tudor Cristian Paşcalău, Andreea Crintea, Alina Simona Şovrea
Affiliations
Review

Short histological kaleidoscope - recent findings in histology. Part V. About tendons, ligaments, and cartilages

Elena Mihaela Jianu et al. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2025 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Tendons, ligaments, and various types of cartilage, including elastic, hyaline, growth, articular, and meniscal cartilage, share important structural and functional properties. As connective tissues, they are characterized by a dense extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibers and proteoglycans, which provide mechanical strength and flexibility. Their limited vascularity affects healing potential and metabolic activity. These tissues are crucial for maintaining joint integrity, distributing mechanical loads, and supporting skeletal development. This overview highlights the common features that define these connective tissues, providing a foundation for further understanding of their roles in musculoskeletal physiology and pathology, their capacity for regeneration, and possible treatment options.

Keywords: cartilage; degeneration; ligament; regeneration; tendon.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scaffold types in cartilage TE and their functional characteristics. ECM: Extracellular matrix; TE: Tissue engineering
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Buckwalter JA. Aging and degeneration of the human inter-vertebral disc. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1995;20(11):1307–1314. - PubMed
    1. Maffulli N, Longo UG, Gougoulias N, Caine D, Denaro V. Sport injuries: a review of outcomes. Br Med Bull. 2011;97(1):47–80. - PubMed
    1. Woo SL, Hildebrand K, Watanabe N, Fenwick JA, Papageorgiou CD, Wang JH. Tissue engineering of ligament and tendon healing. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1999;(367 Suppl):S312–S323. - PubMed
    1. Eisner LE, Rosario R, Andarawis-Puri N, Arruda EM. The role of the non-collagenous extracellular matrix in tendon and ligament mechanical behavior: a review. J Biomech Eng. 2022;144(5):050801–050801. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Im GI, Kim TK. Stem cells for the regeneration of tendon and ligament: a perspective. Int J Stem Cells. 2020;13(3):335–341. - PMC - PubMed