Seven female patients (mean age of 56 years) with advanced hip joint osteoarthritis underwent total hip replacement. Four days before operation they were given oral tetracycline for two days. During operation specimens were taken from the white articular cartilage, the yellowish articular cartilage and the ivory bone together with their subchondral bone tissues. The undecalcified specimens were cut into 10 μm sections and observed under the fluorescence microscope. In all the specimens the following findings could be observed. 1. The osteoarthritic articular cartilage became thinner, with uneven surface and fissures. 2. The superficial and deep surfaces and the central part of the subchondral bone plate showed bright golden yellow fluorescence. It reflected extensive new bone formation. 3. The subchondral bone trabeculae also revealed bright golden yellow fluorescence on their peripheral borders, so trabeculae turned thicker obviously. 4. The marrow tissues between the bone trabeculae exhibited particulate or spherical bright golden yellow fluorescence, reflecting new bone formation in the marrow. The particulate and spherical bright golden yellow fluorescent materials might aggregate, enlarge and merge into large piece of new bone and they also fused with the neighbouring bone trabeculae. The aforementioned changes in the structure of the subchondral bone tissues increased greatly the mass in the osteoarthritic femoral head.
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