Experimental production of cartilage necrosis by cold injury: failure to cause degenerative joint disease.
A cryoprobe (-20 to -80 C) was applied for 10-60 seconds to cause necrosis of metatarsal head cartilages of 11 rabbits. Segmental loss of nuclear staining was noted at 1 week and depletion of chondroitin sulfate (toluidine blue metachromasia and staining with safranin 0) a few days later. No degenerative joint disease was evident up to 6 months later. The latter finding suggests that, in addition to chondrocyte death, externally imposed stresses are necessary to disrupt the collagenous "skeleton" and initiate the changes of degenerative joint disease.
D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D006614:Hindlimb; D008297:Male; D008684:Metatarsus / Q000293:injuries; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000209:etiology*; D010011:Osteocytes; D011817:Rabbits; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014033:Toe Joint
D002807:Chondroitin