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Assessment of blood-induced cartilage damage in rabbit knees using scanning electron microscopy
A H C Tan1, A K Mitra, P C C Chang
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. goothc@sgh.com.sg
Purpose:
To investigate the harmful effects of a single episode of intra-articular bleeding on articular cartilage of rabbit knees using scanning electron microscopy.
Methods:
Autologous blood was injected into the right knee joints of 18 New Zealand white rabbits. Surface and cellular damages were examined by the scanning electron microscope (n=9) and light microscope (n=34), respectively. The injected right knees were then compared with the corresponding control left knees at one, 3, and 6 weeks after the blood injection.
Results:
The articular surface of the injected knees turned uniformly rough with multiple pits after one week. Maximal changes with elevations and depressions were observed at 3 weeks. These changes reversed at 6 weeks with the irregularities smoothing out. A similar pattern of transient cartilage damage was noted histologically.
Conclusion:
Both scanning electron microscopic and light microscopic findings suggest that a single episode of intra-articular bleeding leads to articular cartilage damage but this appears to be reversible. Our findings of transient damage to the articular cartilage suggest that there is no need for intra-articular evacuation and washout following an acute episode of haemarthrosis.
