Zur Kenntnis der Ausheilungsbefunde bei Arthritis deformans, besonders im Bereiche ihrer Knorpelusuren, nebst einem Beitrag zur Kenntnis der lakunären Knorpelresorption

Histology and tissue chemistry of tidemark separation in hamsters

Adult articular cartilage is divided by the tidemark into a deep calcified layer and a more superficial uncalcified layer. Histologic examination of articular cartilage from the knee joint of golden Syrian hamsters 123 days of age or older revealed defects at the tidemark in the tibia. Defects ranged from small separations of the calcified and uncalcified layers along the tidemark to progressively larger defects apparently formed by dissolution. These larger defects appeared as cavities in the noncalcified cartilage, had smooth rather than rough edges, frequently contained coalesced debris, and often resulted in a bulge in the articular surface. Occasionally, these large defects broke through the articular surface. Defects were not observed in tibial cartilage of younger (<90 days old) hamsters or in femoral cartilage from hamsters of any age. Exercise neither protected against nor increased the severity of the defects. Collagen cross-linking by pyridinoline was examined as a function of age and increased from 1,090 to 3,062 micromoles of pyridinoline/mole of hydroxyproline over the period of 1-9 months of age but was not correlated with defect formation. With increasing age, these focal tidemark defects could lead to osteoarthrosis-like cartilage lesions.

Horizontal splitting in patellar articular cartilage

Horizontal splits at the interface between the uncalcified and the calcified layers of the articular cartilage have been found in 31 of 50 transverse slabs of left patellae from a random series of 50 necropsy subjects aged 18 to 96 years, Evidence is presented that the splits are not due to autolysis nor to technical artefact, and it is here suggested that they result from shearing damage at the uncalcified-calcified cartilage interface during life.