[Comparative light and scanning electron microscopy studies of the morphologic structure of ligament insertions into...

The microstructure of the osseous ligament insertion was studied by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy using the insertion of the membrana interossea antebrachii as an example. The scanning electron microscopical findings of specimens which had been prepared by freeze-fracturing confirm the typical 4-zone-structure of the osseous ligament insertion. The findings emphasize the functional importance of both zones of unmineralized and mineralized fibrous cartilage, which represent an effective shock absorbing system for the collagenous structures of the osseous ligament insertion.