[The early development of the articular cartilage. IV. The metamorphosing cartilage]

The definite articular cartilage originate from 2 anlagen, the primordial tangential layer and the greater part including the joint bone plate from the metamorphosing cartilage. The tangential layer grow by apposition from the perichondrium. Additional the layer becomes also dilatated as a result of the growing volume of the ossification center. In this way the Lamina splendens with residues of cells may be formed. The chondrocytes resemble partly fibroblasts, in older animals possibly even tendocytes. Moreover the cells exhibit a varying different shape. Today it is impossible to interpret the polymorphism of the cells. In the primordial state, the chondrocyts are embedded in a network from thin cartilage fibrils. Later on collagen fibrils from varied thickness (up to 900 A) are formed. The fibrils run only partly parallel to each other, in general they form a network, in which they cross with a low angle. There are great local differences in the fibrillar structure by the same animal.