Heterogeneity of hyaline cartilage matrix density of rabbit knee iont
We have examined the tissues of knee joint of six intact Chinchilla rabbits in order to study the structural manifestations of cluster organization (mosaicity) of hyaline cartilage in terms of light microscopy. As a result, we have registered the phenomenon of repetitive mosaic patterns differing from the surrounding cartilage by denser extracellular matrix and higher numerical density of chondrocytes. The revealed sites (microclusters) occupied from 30% to 45% of cartilage volume, had a shape similar to a polygon truncated pyramids and sized about 80 to 180 microns. The above phenomenon may partly explain the distribution of static and dynamic loadings on the articular surface.