Observations on the development and nutrition of bone and cartilage, and on the relations of connective tissues to each other in health and disease / by Professor Redfern.

  • Redfern (Professor)
Date:
[1897?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the development and nutrition of bone and cartilage, and on the relations of connective tissues to each other in health and disease / by Professor Redfern. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    7/19 (page 99)
    cartilage, and the rare ossification of permanent or articular cartilage, suggests the existence of a marked difference in the vital action of these two forms of cartilage, and makes it desir- able to have positive evidence that articular cartilage can be transformed into bone. This can be got by examining eburnated or porcellaneous parts of articular surfaces. I believe it has not been noticed that the free surfaces of such parts are nearly on the original level of the articular cartilage, and that, in general, the level of the other parts of the cartilage, greatly changed in structure, is considerably below that of the porcellaneous parts; indeed, frequently very little of those parts of the cartilage remains on the bone. Sections of porcellaneous parts show them to be formed of excessively dense bone, such as is never formed where the bone has been preceded by ordinary temporary cartilage. Enclosed in the bony tissue, here and there, are small blocks of easily recognisable articular cartilage, as yet free from ossification, and giving positive evidence that the position of the porcellaneous part was once occupied by articular cartilage. When two surfaces of such newly formed ivory-like bone move on each other, they become highly polished, and often, especially in ginglymoid joints, ground into mutually fitting ridges and grooves. The polish of such surfaces is such as cannot be given by any amount of friction to ordinary bone. The vital power of temporary and permanent cartilage is widely different, and it is only when the general conditions have become greatly changed that permanent cartilage is trans- formed into very dense bone, and an ivory-like polish is ever given to the part. The suggestion that a. porcellaneous surface is the result of friction of an articular surface which has been deprived of its cartilage has probably arisen from an imperfect appreciation of the level of such surfaces, in comparison with the original level of the whole articular surface. Permit me now to direct the attention of the Society for a few moments to the exquisitely adapted anatomical structure of articular surfaces, and to the cause of the terrible suffering which often occurs when these parts become diseased.