J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1974 Jun;9(2):221-229. 10.4055/jkoa.1974.9.2.221.

Ultrastructure of Articular Cartilage in Immobilized Knee Joints of Rabbits

• Jahng JS

• KMID: 2471506
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1974.9.2.221

Abstract

Mature articular cartilage is an aneural, avascular, and alymphatic specialized form of connective tissue, and it has been emphasized that destruction of articular cartilage is the starting point in the evolution of degenerative arthritis and that all subsequent changes in the various components of the joint are secondary. The initial destruction may occur spontaneously with normal wear and tear in aging cartilage, or it may occur prematurely in articular cartilage that has been damaged by a local condition, such as infection or injury. Destructive changes in synovial joints, resulting from prolonged immobilization, have been described in humans and experimental animals. However, the fine changes occuring in the early stages of Immobilization can be appreciated only by ultramicroscopical examination, which also helps to determine changes in the cell organelles in the later stages. The effects of Immobilization in the areas that remain free from contact with the opposing cartilage are also better appreciated by electron microscopy). Thirty young male rabbits each weighing about 20 kg were used for the experimental study. Immobilization of the knee Joint la flexed position of about 70 degrees was maintained by plaster of Paris, and the animals were sacrificed at time intervals of 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 days respectively after the immobilization. After sacrifice, distal portions of the femora were resected and on the test side(right) small pieces were taken from areas free from contact with the opposing cartilage. The tissues were decalcified and prepared by standard paraffin embedding procedure and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histologic observation. For electron microscopy, the specimens fixed in four percent glutaraldehyde for four hours and postfixed for two hours at t'c with one percent osmium tetraoxide in 0.1 M phosphate buffer with pH 7.4 All times were dehydrated in graded alcohol and embedded in Epon 812 according to standard procedures. They were cut into sections of 500 A with a glass knife. The sections were mounted on copper grids, stained with uranyl acetate and lead hydroxide and observed with the Hitachi HU 11-E Electron Microscope. The results of the light and electron microscopic findings are as follows: 1. Degenerative changes in non-contact areas of articular cartilage, resulting from the early stages of immobilization, could be detected by the electron microscopic examination. 2 Degenerative changes in a few chondrocytes of the middle zone appeared after 7 days of immobilization, and these were observed in increasing degrees of severity in the later samples. The changes were manifested by dilatation of the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, swelling of mitochondria, accumulation of excessive amount of fine filaments, lipid droplets and lysosomal bodies. 3. By the light microscopic findings. mild degenerative changes in the non-contact areas of articular cartilage appeared after 14 days of immobilization and became increasingly severe in later samples. The changes were manifested by fibrillation, cleft and hypocellularity.

MeSH Terms

Aging
Animals
Calcium Sulfate
Cartilage
Cartilage, Articular*
Chondrocytes
Connective Tissue
Copper
Dilatation
Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Glass
Glutaral
Hematoxylin
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Immobilization
Joints
Knee Joint*
Knee*
Lipid Droplets
Male
Microscopy, Electron
Mitochondria
Organelles
Osmium
Osteoarthritis
Paraffin Embedding
Rabbits*
Tears
Calcium Sulfate
Copper
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Glutaral
Hematoxylin
Osmium

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