Chondrocyte mitosis in the articular cartilage of femoral heads with various diseases.

Autoradiographic studies using thymidine-3H reveal the mitosis of chondrocytes in degenerated joints, i.e. joints having secondary osteoarthritis or aseptic necrosis of the femoral head. The findings obtained provide additional support for the recent investigations regarding chondrocyte mitosis in primary osteoarthritic cartilage. Histologic and histochemical examinations suggest that a loss of glycosaminoglycans in the matrix is evidence for conversion of chondrocyte activity to mitosis which occurs, however, within the limit of "the point of irreversibility", analogous to the observations from the biochemical point of view. Biomechanical and nutritional factors are also discussed in relation to the results obtained from cartilages of the femoral heads in cases of femoral neck fracture and aseptic necrosis of the femoral head.