Degenrative arthritis is a: non-inflammatory disorder of movable joints characterized by deterioration and abrasion of articular- cartilage´ and by the formation of new bone.´ In recent years ultrastructural studies of human articular cartilage have demonstrated the normal pattern, as well as some aspects of the degenerative arthritic lesion. However. no definite studies have attempted to define in depth the progression of changes in the matrix and cells of the degenerative arthritis of human articular cartilage.
It is the purpose of this report to study the ultrastructural appearance of articular cartilage of degenerative arthritis of 11 human femoral heads and to compare this change with that of normal articular caztilage of one human femoral head. The specimen was taken from the pressure area of the femoral head measuring about. 1.0 by 1.Ocm. which included cartilage .down to within 0.1cm of the subchondral bone during the surgical procedure of femoral head prosthesis and -the total hip azhroplasty. For electron microscopy the . specimens fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde for 4 hours and postfixed for 2 hours at 4´C with 1 % osmiuia tetraoxide in 0.1M phosphate Buffer with pH 7.4. AII tissues were dehydrated . in graded alcohol and´ einbeded in Epon 812 according to standard procedures.
They were cdE in section of 500 A with a glass knife. The sections were mounted .on copper grids, stained with uranyl acetate and lead hydroxide and observed vrith the Hitachi HU-11-E ` Electron Microscope. The result of the electron microscopic findings are as´follows: ´~ The changes of articular cartilage ~~of ´degenerative azthritis of hip wen manifested by the dilatation of cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, !increase of vesicles, loss ´of cristae of mitochondria, ~ appearance of dense bodies. glycogen lysis, accumulation of fine filaments, swelling bf Golgi ´apparatus, and the replacement of the celluar portion of chondrocyte by the collagen fiber" like sulistantres in the severe type of degenerative arthritis.
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