A QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE SUBCHONDRAL CHANGES IN OSTEOARTHRITIS AND ITS ASSOCIATION TO THE CARTILAGE DEGENERATION

In order to quantify the alterations in subchrondral bone and to compa re the changes with the severity of the cartilage lesions, a quantitat ive histological analysis of articular cartilage and subchrondral bone from osteoarthritic and normal femoral heads was performed. The analy ses were based on 12 femoral heads, seven which were osteoarthritic an d five controls. Coronal sections were made and divided into four sepa rate sites to include two weight-bearing and two non-weight-bearing. F or each area the percentage volume of trabecular bone was determined b y histomorphometry and the degree of cartilage degeneration was evalua ted according to a histological-histochemical grading system. The data obtained showed wide variations from site to site, in osteoarthritic femoral heads, with consistently more pronounced alterations in cartil age and subchrondral bone in the weight-bearing areas. Bone thickening and cartilage degeneration were distinctly increased in osteoarthriti c joints, in contrast to the control group. By comparing the bony chan ges with the severity of the cartilage lesions, a correlation of moder ate significance was found between the degeneration of the cartilage a nd sclerosis of the subchrondral bone.