Collagen type II is the dominant substance in the human articular cartilage and forms a network of fibers that are important for the function of the joints. Collagen type II reduces friction between the moving parts of the joints and protects the underlying bone tissue. The joint cartilage is very smooth and approximately 0.5-2.55 mm thick and acts as a sliding surface and shock absorber.

Collagen type II is a protein that has three long protein chains that wrap around each other forming a triple helix. The collagen helix also has galactose (a sugar) bound to it. Collagenum has a unique newly developed method to ensure that the collagen molecule has a triple helix structure and that it has the sugar attached to the structure.