The role of cartilage canals in the pathogenesis of experimentally induced polyarthritis

Porcine articular cartilage from cases of experimentally induced Erysipelas polyarthritis, a comparative model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in man, was examined with different histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The preexisting canals in articular cartilage played a crucial role during the flooding and deposition of arthritogenic microorganisms deep into the cartilage matrix. Subsequently this vascularized tissue mediated the same inflammatory reactions in hyaline cartilage of young animals as seen in other connective tissues. However, these stereotypical responses to injury were modulated by the unique composition and structure of articular cartilage.