**Core Concept**
Metastatic calcification is a process where calcium salts precipitate out of solution in tissues, usually due to hypercalcemia. In contrast, dystrophic calcification occurs in damaged or necrotic tissues, often in the absence of hypercalcemia. Sclerotic growth or stalactite formation is a characteristic feature of dystrophic calcification.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Dystrophic calcification is a localized process that occurs in damaged tissues, such as those found in atherosclerotic plaques, osteoarthritic joints, or infarcted myocardium. The damaged tissues provide a nidus for calcium phosphate deposition, leading to the formation of stalactite-like structures. This process is distinct from metastatic calcification, which is a systemic process that occurs in response to hypercalcemia.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
* **Option A:** This option is incorrect because metastatic calcification is characterized by the deposition of calcium salts in normal tissues, not in damaged or necrotic tissues.
* **Option B:** This option is incorrect because while calcification can occur in atherosclerotic plaques, the term "stalactite growth" is more specifically associated with dystrophic calcification in damaged tissues.
* **Option C:** This option is incorrect because osteoarthritic joints can exhibit calcification, but the term "stalactite growth" is more specifically associated with dystrophic calcification in damaged tissues, not just osteoarthritis.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Dystrophic calcification can occur in any tissue that has been damaged or necrotic, and it is often associated with conditions such as atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, and myocardial infarction.

**Correct Answer:** D.