Cartilage also serves as a shock absorber. Briefly put, cartilage protects our bones from the wear and tear of movement. One way to think of cartilage is as a super sponge. As the joint rests again, it again soaks up water. This spongelike effect of cartilage makes it a shock absorber, buffering our bones and body from the wear and tear of making thousands of movements per day.
Cartilage is also slippery five to eight times more slippery than ice.
Thus, when two bones do meet, the cartilage at the ends of each bone allows them to slide off each other, adding to the buffering effect. Combined, these are called the cartilage matrix. The cartilage matrix is where new cartilage is born. It also feeds the cartilage. Cartilage contains no blood vessels, so the soaking up and squeezing out of water is what provides cartilage with nutrients.