Pathological and surgical observations on diseases of the joints / Benjamin Collins Brodie.

  • Brodie, Benjamin, Sir, 1783-1862.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pathological and surgical observations on diseases of the joints / Benjamin Collins Brodie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    350/364 (page 336)
    bone; but at the margin, close to the reflection of the synovial membrane over it, a narrow strip of cartilage is almost everywhere percep- tible ; and in many places there are portions of cartilage, of their ordinary thickness, and evi- dently not altered from their natural condition. In speaking of ulceration of the articular carti- lages as a consequence of inflammation of the synovial membrane, I have not endeavoured to ex- plain the exact nature of the process by which such ulceration is effected, and simply for this reason, — that I have not been able completely to satisfy my own mind on the subject. There can be no doubt that, in many instaces, ulceration begins at the margin of the cartilage, where the synovial membrane is reflected over it from the neigh- bouring bone, or from the interarticular ligaments, where such ligaments exist; but it may still admit of a question, in what manner the ulceration is accomplished : whether it be from the inflamma- tion extending directly to the cartilage itself, or to the bone first, and the cartilage afterwards* ; * I am led to offer this as one of the explanations which might be given of ulceration of the cartilage, induced by in- flammation of the synovial membrane, in consequence of what was observed in Case I. p. 9-, in which the cartilage presented no appearance of disease, except that, at the edge of one of the condyles of the femur, it adhered to the bone less firmly than usual. I have observed, in some other cases, but especially in those of the scrofulous disease, which has its origin in the bones, that a similar adhesion of the cartilage to the bone is not unfrequently to be noticed where the former is about to ulcerate.