Lipid composition of the tissues of human knee joints. I. Observations in normal joints (articular cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, synovial fluid, synovium, intra-articular fat pad and bone marrow).

The composition and lipid profiles of the following tissues of the human knee joint were determined: articular cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, synovial fluid, synovium, intra-articular fat pad and bone marrow. The tissues were obtained from fresh cadavers and from surgical specimens. The lipid profiles of articular cartilage, meniscus and ligaments were similar to reported analyses of other tissues that are also rich in collagen. The lipid profiles for the remaining tissues were more like the profiles found in the fat depots and fatty tissues of the human body. Both the phospholipid and fatty acid patterns of these tissues were similar within statistical deviation. These results suggest that the per cent compositions of fatty acids and the phospholipid family profile ratios have limited range variability in the "normal" tissues of the human knee. On the other hand, the per cent neutral lipid compositions and their individual profiles showed great variations among the different tissue tissues of the knee.