1. A study of normal and osteoarthritic hyaline cartilage has been made with the electron microscope and x-ray diffraction. 2. Normal cartilage consists of a three-dimensional network of collagen fibrils with no preferred orientation, surrounded by a matrix containing polysaccharide. 3. In the osteoarthritic joint the collagen fibrils show definite orientation and a decreased proportion of ground substance. X-ray diffraction confirms this and shows the orientation to be at right angles to the surface of the femoral head. 4. Tensional forces across the joint may explain why osteoarthritic changes first appear in the non-weight-bearing area of the joint.
1. Forty-four patients with tuberculous tenosynovitis have been reviewed. 2. The lesions (fifty-two in all) are classified and described according to their anatomical sites. 3. Particular reference is made to the natural history of the condition and the results of treatment. 4. Early and extensive excision of the affected tendon sheaths combined with the use of anti-tuberculous drugs is recommended.
1. The previous literature in English on tuberculosis of the subdeltoid bursa is reviewed. 2. Two further cases are reported. 3. Emphasis is placed on the neglect of the condition in standard text-books and the need for bearing the diagnosis in mind. 4. Treatment by radical excision, a period of immobilisation and full supportive antibiotic therapy are recommended.
