title: Ultrastructural study of hip joint osteoarthritis. Scanning electron microscopic study of articular cartilage of femoral head.
abstract: The surface structure of four different articular cartilages of the femoral head was studied with scanning electron microscope in 12 cases of hip joint osteoarthritis. These articular cartilages were mink white, yellow, dusky red and hyperplastic and thickened. The osteoarthritic articular cartilage surface was uneven with puckerings of various height, width and orientation. The puckerings were covered with fibril network. The fibrils were exposed collagen fibrils and of different diameters. Wider fiber bundles without orientation were found on the fibril network. On the surface of the hyperplastic articular cartilage observed were many deep and oval spaces left behind after breakdown of the lacunae of cells in the clusters of articular chondrocytes. In the spaces, remnants of articular chondrocytes were seen.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics.
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005270:Femur Head / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000473:pathology*