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Structure of the most superficial layer of articular cartilage

1995; British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery; Volume: 77-B; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1302/0301-620x.77b3.7744937

2044-5377

Ryota Teshima, Tetsuro Otsuka, Noriyuki Takasu, Nobuki Yamagata, Kazuhiro Yamamoto,

Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Pathologies

We studied the most superficial layer of macroscopically normal articular cartilage obtained from human femoral heads, using polarising microscopy and SEM. The most superficial layer, 4 to 8 microns thick, was acellular consisting of collagen fibrils. This layer could be peeled away as a thin film, with no broken collagen fibrils on its inferior surface or on the surface of subjacent cartilage layers. The orientation and diameter of collagen fibrils were different on these two surfaces. Our findings suggest that the most superficial layer is an independent one which is only loosely connected to the fibrous structure in the layer deep to it.