Nutrient and oxygen reach the chondrocytes across perichondrium by

an impoant fact about cailage matrix is that it is avascular, i.e. not supplied by capillariestherefore, chondrocytes within the matrix must receive nutrients and oxygen by diffusion from vessels that lie outside the cailagethis long-distance diffusion is possible because of the large volume of water trapped within the matrix(Refer: Manish Kumar Varshney's Essential Ohopedics Principles & Practice, 1st edition, pg no. 7, 347)