Thickness and distribution of human femoral head articular cartilage. Changes with age

The distribution of hyaline cartilage in the sagittal plane of the normal human femoral head was examined. 28 specimens from persons aged 10 to 68 years subject to post-mortem examination in a teaching hospital were anatomically orientated and x-rayed in a lateromedial projection. An optical technique was used to measure the cartilage thickness from the x-ray films thus produced. Measurements were made with a sensitivity of +/- 0-01 mm using a metrological projector. 11 defined sites on each femoral head were surveyed to give the distribution of cartilage thickness. The greatest thickness was identified anterior to the zenith. Between the ages of 20 and 45 years the thickness of this zone increased with age. The thickness of femoral head cartilage was not evidently related to femoral head diameter, femur length, or body weight.