Cartilage supplement medicine

There is cartilage in the human body, which can help us move and rub. Without cartilage, there would be only hard bones, and we would not be able to walk or exercise. However, some people may suffer from contusion and damage of cartilage tissue due to external pressure and vibration, leading to local cracking or gradual aging with age. What types of drugs can be used to replenish cartilage?

Healthy articular cartilage is an indispensable "partner" for normal human activities. It is located at the connection between two bones and acts like a cushion. When the joint is squeezed, it will compress. When the pressure disappears, it will return to its original state, relieving the pressure on the joint bones and reducing the shock and damage caused by external forces.

However, articular cartilage, like other organs in the body, has a lifespan. As people age, the cartilage in human joints gradually wears out and ages, causing many middle-aged and elderly people to suffer from osteoarthritis or other joint-related orthopedic diseases, suffering from pain all day long and unable to sleep or eat.

In recent years, more and more medicines and health foods for protecting joint cartilage have become well-known and popular on the market, but their quality and efficacy vary widely, which inevitably confuses patients and makes them wonder how to choose. Next, we will introduce several types of drugs that can truly protect cartilage and delay joint degeneration.

1Sodium hyaluronate

Sodium hyaluronate is the main component of synovial fluid and one of the components of cartilage matrix, which plays a lubricating role in the joint cavity. Sodium hyaluronate used in medicine is an injection solution that simulates human synovial fluid. It is injected into the human joint cavity to reduce friction on the joint surface, thereby alleviating joint pain. It can also provide nutrition to the articular cartilage and reduce damage to the diseased articular surface cartilage. Usually one course of treatment is one year, which requires 3 to 6 injections. It is not very comfortable and the pain is quite strong.

2 Chinese medicine for strengthening kidney and bones

"Kidneys govern bones" is one of the core theories in traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, promoting the strength and growth of bones and cartilage by tonifying the kidneys is one of the principles of traditional Chinese medicine in treating bone and joint diseases. Modern pharmacological research has shown[1] that kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine can treat osteoarthritis and protect cartilage mainly by reducing damage, delaying degeneration, and promoting cartilage differentiation and repair.

Through research, we have obtained some morphological and molecular biological basis for kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine to protect cartilage. Experiments have been conducted to observe the effect of kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine on chondrocyte apoptosis in rabbits with osteoarthritis. The results showed that the chondrocyte apoptosis index in the Chinese medicine group was significantly lower than that in the model group (P<0.01). Therefore, kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine has a certain protective effect on articular cartilage, but the relevant data are still very limited and further research is needed.

3 Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a physiologically active substance that exists in human cartilage. The human body can synthesize sufficient amounts of glucosamine to form proteoglycans and construct the cartilage network structure. When cartilage becomes diseased and its own glucosamine synthesis is insufficient, external glucosamine is needed to supplement it.

Glucosamine includes glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. Clinical trials have shown that the therapeutic effect of glucosamine sulfate is better than that of glucosamine hydrochloride. Taking the representative drug Isojia as an example, Isojia is glucosamine sulfate. It has a small molecular weight and is easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. It can diffuse freely into organs and tissues, including joints and articular cartilage, which is where they act selectively and play a role in the biosynthesis of articular cartilage. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that glucosamine sulfate is the "protector" of cartilage.

4 Chondroitin Sulfate

Chondroitin sulfate is a glucosamine polysaccharide formed by the polymerization reaction of glucosamine and other amino sugars. It can promote bone metabolism, promote bone healing and repair, and has a strong effect in improving bone mucosal metabolism and repairing mucosal damage. It absorbs the impact and friction of the joints when the human body is moving, absorbs water into the proteoglycan molecules, thickens the cartilage, and increases the amount of synovial fluid in the joints.

Chondroitin also acts as a conduit to deliver important oxygen and nutrients to the joints, helping to remove waste products from the joints while allowing carbon dioxide and waste to be eliminated. In the human body, chondrocytes use glucosamine sulfate to synthesize chondroitin sulfate. Therefore, when used in combination with glucosamine sulfate, it has powerful effects in relieving pain and promoting cartilage regeneration, and can truly improve joint problems from the root.