[pbhjpbhj]

>We can see that not all obstacles make you stronger. Destroy the cartilage in your knee, and it may never fully recover, since cartilage doesn’t grow back. //

I'm not a medic but I recall this being disproven or shown to be at least partially a myth a few years ago - https://physicians.dukehealth.org/articles/humans-have-salam... from 2020, for example. Researchers showed that ankle cartilage is younger than knee- and younger still than hip cartilage. Indicating that it grows back in ankles relatively quickly.

As the article says, analogies can mislead us, but this didn't inspire confidence.

I could probably dismiss it if the article weren't about being scientifically precise and dispelling myths relating to human biology.

Good piece, but the title is misleading too as the conclusion appears to be "it's complicated; yes and no".

[Mistletoe]

Also runners have great knee cartilage compared to sedentary people, despite the myth.

>Using motion capture and sophisticated computer modeling, the study confirms that running pummels knees more than walking does. But in the process, the authors conclude, running likely also fortifies and bulks up the cartilage, the rubbery tissue that cushions the ends of bones.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/well/move/why-running-won...

[viraptor]

That's mixing up repeated increased stress from running and "destroyed" from the parent comment. Those are different things.

Same situation with resistance training lightly damaging and rebuilding muscles over time and actually tearing a large part of a muscle which leaves lasting damage.

[HappMacDonald]

Is that causative though? Or do people with great cartilage simply enjoy running more because it isn't as painful?

[TeaBrain]

Why this way of looking at cartilage is a misconception is explained in the study cited by the top level comment. Cartilage in different parts of the body has been shown to be different ages, indicating that it rejuvenates and that there there isn't just a single set of good or bad cartilage.

[schwartzworld]

Any exercise is going to be uncomfortable if you haven’t conditioned yourself.

[DebtDeflation]

It's long been believed that an ACL rupture requires surgery as the ligament does not have sufficient blood flow to repair on its own. But then a recent study showed that in a significant percentage of people who suffer ACL ruptures and elect not to have surgery the ligament eventually repairs itself on its own.

[nielsbot]

Curious about the ACL study... do you have a link handy?

[saurik]

I took DebtDeflation's entire comment and just threw it into Google, as I was also curious:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/28/torn-acl-...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna99606

[anitil]

I know that people can function and even be high-level athletes without an ACL, but I haven't heard of non-surgical repairs outside of specific inteventions (holding the leg at a fixed angle for a few weeks following an injury). I'd be keen to read about this if you have links?

[saurik]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41387950

[anitil]

Ah I think I misread the gp comment - I thought there was research about ACLs repairing 'on their own', this looks like the case I've seen where putting the joint at a fixed angle leads to repair.