Collagen II turnover in joint diseases

Content and structure in cartilage Type II collagen is one of the primary structural components of hyaline cartilage, constituting approximately half the dry weight of extracellular matrix. It is composed of a triple helix of three identical a chains organized in fibrils within the extracellular matrix. Whereas these fibrils are ordinarily clearly visible throughout the matrix, close to the cell in the pericellular domain, their identity is often difficult to discern. It is here that there is likely more active turnover of collagen, such as in rheumatoid arthritis (Mansson et al. 1995).