Scanning electron microscopic study of subchondral bone tissues in osteoarthritic femoral head

During total hip replacement for 12 cases of advanced osteoarthritis of the hip joint in aged women, three types of diseased or abnormal articular cartilage with different degrees of severity (white articular cartilage, white and hyperplastic articular cartilage, and yellowish articular cartilage) and ivory bone were obtained together with their subchondral bone tissues. These specimens were processed and studied under scanning electron microscope and were compared with sex- and age-matched non-osteoarthritic femoral head articular cartilage specimens. The following findings were observed: 1. In non-osteoarthritic femoral head, the subchondral bone plate was quite thin. The bone plate connected on its deep surface with the lattice-work of trabeculae of the epiphyseal region. The trabeculae were fine and smooth and some revealed round or spindle-shaped callus resulted from microfracture. 2. In osteoarthritic femoral heads, with increased the severity of the articular lesion, the articular cartilage gradually became thinned out and eventually lost. The subchondral bone plate was markedly thickened. The epiphyseal trabeculae were also thickened and turned rough so that the lattice-work pattern gradually disappeared. The thickened trabeculae finally fused into a large piece of dense bone tissue. No microfracture was detected. These changes were attributable to the increased stress imposed on the subchondral bone tissues as a result of defective articular cartilage. Consequently, the changes on the part of the subchondral bone tissues of the osteoarthritic femoral heads were the sequent, rather than the cause, of the articular lesions.