The microscopic structure of fibrous articular surfaces: A review

Abstract

The present knowledge of the microscopic structure of fibrous articulating surface is reviewed. The influence of dissection, postmortem change, fixation, and dehydration on the microscopic appearances of these surfaces is considered. The results of those studies of surface morphology that investigate intact, supported specimens and that are controlled by surveys of fresh, unfixed, or frozen material are advantageous. New information on the effects of alterations in intermaxillary relationship on the morphology of fibrous articulating surfaces is presented. There is need for further work in this field of research.

Light and electron microscopic morphology of the temporomandibular joint in growing and mature crab-eating monkeys (Macaca fascicularis): the condylar articular layer

“…Human specimens were obtained at necropsy or from surgical interventions and, thus, may have been affected by postmortem changes or the exigencies of surgery (Pidd and Gardner 1987). Condylar articular surfaces of guinea-pigs (Silva 1971;Wilson 1978) and baboons (Wilson and Gardner 1984) revealed irregularities similar to those found on hyaline articular cartilage. These were attributed to the presence of chondrocytes (Gardner 1972;Gardner et al 1981Gardner et al , 1983Middleton et al 1984;Pidd and Gardner 1987) and their frequency decreased with age (Wilson 1978).…”

“…under some, (although not heavy,) load, possibly accounts for the absence of any irregularities from condylar articular surfaces in contact with the articular eminence of the temporal bone. Such irregularities were commonly observed on mandibular condyles (Wilson 1978;Wilson and Gardner 1984) as well as on articular cartilage (Gardner 1972;Gardner et al 1981Gardner et al , 1983, when specimens had been removed prior to fixation. These irregularities are probably surface representations of superficial chondrocytes, which flatten under pressure (Middleton et al 1984) and may thus be absent from surfaces fixed under load.…”

“…The appearance of articular surfaces and articular tissues is considerably affected by the technique of preparation (Gardner 1972;Cameron et al 1976;Gardner et al 1981Gardner et al , 1983Wilson and Gardner 1984;Pidd and Gardner 1987). We have chosen the conventional, chemical fixation with aldehydes, because it allowed initial fixation of the articular tissues in situ, by perfusion, while the joint components were in a nearly natural relationship.…”

“…The condylar articular surface has so far been studied in rodents (Silva 1971 ;Wilson 1978;Bouvier and Zimny 1987), baboons (Wilson and Gardner 1984), and man (Jagger and Wittaker 1977;Toiler 1977;Toiler and Wilkox 1978;Wampler et al 1980). Human specimens were obtained at necropsy or from surgical interventions and, thus, may have been affected by postmortem changes or the exigencies of surgery (Pidd and Gardner 1987).…”

Ultrastructural Characterization of the Rabbit Mandibular Condyle following Experimental Induction of Anterior Disk Displacement

“…Several ultrastructural studies using normal human [Ben-Ami et al, 1992] and animal condylar cartilage [Silva, 1967;Appleton, 1975Appleton, , 1978Silbermann and Lewinson, 1978;Luder et al, 1988;Livne et al, 1990;Marchi et al, 1991] have shown that normal condylar cartilage is composed primarily of three layers, a perichondrium which is a fibroelastic connective tissue composed of fibroblasts, undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, type I collagen and elastic fibers [Wilson and Gardner, 1984;De Bont et al, 1984, 1985Mizuno et al, 1992;Missankov, 1995;Klinge, 1996], a hyaline cartilage composed of chondrocytes located in lacunae, two or more cells are enclosed in a capsule or a chondron. Chondrons are connected by pericellular channels [Broom and Myers, 1980;Broom and Poole 1982;Poole et al, 1982Poole et al, , 1984Poole et al, , 1991.…”