White fibrocartilage consists of a mixture of white fibrous tissue and cartilaginous tissue in various proportions. It owes its flexibility and toughness to the former of these constituents, and its elasticity

Elasticity

Elasticity may refer to:*Elasticity , continuum mechanics of bodies that deform reversibly under stressNumerous uses are derived from this physical sense of the term, which is inherently mathematical, such as used in Engineering, Chemistry, Construction and variously in Economics:*Elasticity , the...

 to the latter. It is the only type of cartilage that contains type I collagen

Collagen

Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...

 in addition to the normal type II.

Fibrocartilage is found in the pubic symphysis

Pubic symphysis

The pubic symphysis or symphysis pubis is the midline cartilaginous joint uniting the superior rami of the left and right pubic bones. It is located anterior to the urinary bladder and superior to the external genitalia; for females it is above the vulva and for males it is above the penis...

, the annulus fibrosus

Annulus fibrosus disci intervertebralis

Each intervertebral fibrocartilage is composed, at its circumference, of laminæ of fibrous tissue and fibrocartilage, forming the annulus fibrosus.-Spelling notes:...

 of intervertebral disc

Intervertebral disc

Intervertebral discs lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.-Structure:...

s, meniscus

Meniscus (anatomy)

In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...

, and the TMJ. During labor

Childbirth

Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...

, relaxin

Relaxin

Relaxin is a protein hormone first described in 1926 by Frederick Hisaw.The relaxin-like peptide family belongs in the insulin superfamily and consists of 7 peptides of high structural but low sequence similarity; relaxin-1 , 2 and 3 , and the insulin-like peptides, INSL3, INSL4, INSL5 and INSL6...

 loosens the pubic symphysis

Pubic symphysis

The pubic symphysis or symphysis pubis is the midline cartilaginous joint uniting the superior rami of the left and right pubic bones. It is located anterior to the urinary bladder and superior to the external genitalia; for females it is above the vulva and for males it is above the penis...

 to aid in delivery, but this can lead to later joint problems.

Formation as a repair mechanism

If normal cartilage is torn all the way down to the bone, the blood supply from inside the bone is sometimes enough to start some healing inside the lesion. In cases like this, the body will form a scar in the area using a special type of cartilage called fibrocartilage. Fibrocartilage is a tough, dense, fibrous material that helps fill in the torn part of the cartilage. Yet it's not an ideal replacement for the smooth, glassy articular cartilage that normally covers the surface of the knee joint.

Pathology

Degeneration of fibrocartilage is seen in degenerative disc disease

Degenerative disc disease

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc, often called "degenerative disc disease" of the spine, is a condition that can be painful and can greatly affect the quality of one's life...

.