Joint Degeneration Process

Diagram 1: Healthy Joint
Here is a healthy animal joint showing healthy cartilage, subcondral bone, thick synovial membrane (which is made up of connective tissue), rich viscose synovial fluid in the joint and good blood flow running past the membrane.

The membrane around the joint has a very important function as a "filter" bringing in nutrients from the blood stream into the joint and extracting waste out of the joint and into the blood stream again to be carried out of the body.  The cells that make up this membrane are also responsible for producing the synovial fluid inside the joint.

Diagram 2: Joint Degradation
Here the joint has incurred trauma and the synovial membrane has been ruptured (this can be done through an impact or have occurred over time due to an injury, reaction to medication, degenerative disease or simple wear and tear) which then leads to blood pollution into the synovial cavity and leaching of the synovial fluid out of the membrane.

Diagram 3: Continued and Progressive Degradation
Once the synovial membrane has been ruptured and blood is leaching into the synovial cavity, the synovial cavity expands, and the synovial fluid is losing its viscosity (gel-like thickness and becoming watery) and the ability to absorb nutrients and remove waste.

Inflammatory cells are inter-reacting and its downhill from here.

Diagram 4: Arthritis
Here is a image depicting arthritis. The cartilage is inflamed and eroded.  Due to blood pollution in the synovial cavity there is a COX2, Nitirc Oxide, PGE2 build up which is now creating the pain sensation and deteriorates the cartilage and synovial membrane.

This is where you feel pain.

At this stage, the joint nearly 16 major inflammatory cell inter-reactions have taken place.

Diagram 5: Unhealthy Joint
The synovial membrane is now thin and perforated with increased levels of blood pollution present in the synovial cavity.

COX2, Nitric Oxide, PGE2 buildup has intensified creating further erosion and inflammation within the synovial membrane and the articular cartilage.

Importantly the synovial fluid that supplies the cartilage and membrane with the nutrients to stimulate healthy cartilage, continues to leach out of the membrane.

These inflammatory cell inter-reactions are also intensifying the pain in the joint.