Production of split patterns on the articular cartilage surfaces of rats

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Abstract
A device was designed to permit reproducible loads to be applied perpendicularly to the acutely curved cartilage surfaces of the diarthrodial joints of small animals. A sharp, round pin was used to cause splits in the hyaline articular cartilage of the lower end of the femurs of 37 Wistar rats. In the patellar groove, the splits form a longitudinal pattern; on the condylar surface the pattern is fantail, radial or non-uniform. Apparently, cartilage thickness, joint congruence and load per unit area are variables related to the directional pattern of the splits. These variables reflect the gross, microscopic and molecular anatomy of the cartilage. The effects of pin-pricks are complex. They disrupt surface collagen bundles and other cartilage components. Experiments testing the effects of drying, isotonic saline, hyaluronic acid and NaOH indicate that the state of hydration and fluid flow are important determinants of the shape of cartilage splits. NaOH-induced cartilage disruption, involving glycosaminoglycan loss, did not influence split configuration. The process of crack propagation, by which splits form, may be related to the position and shape of chondrocyte lacunae. Pin-prick testing offers a means by which the structural properties of the cartilage of small diarthrodial joints may be conveniently tested in vitro.

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