Introduction

I. Structure of articular cartilage

• Microscopical appearance and organization of articular cartilage surfaces

• Scanning electron microscope study of normal human articular cartilage

• Sequential changes in superficial defects in articular cartilage studied with the scanning electron microscope

• Cartilage fibrillation versus ink-staining patterns: Scanning electron microscope study

• Stain distribution with alcian blue in articular cartilage

I. Short communications

• Some new morphological data on histogenesis of articular cartilage

• Matrix structure in articular cartilage

• Three-dimensional observations of articular cartilage matrix

• Ultrastructural aspects of normal and osteoarthrotic cartilage

• Scanning electron microscopy of human osteoarthrotic cartilage

II. Chemistry of the matrix

• Structure and stability of proteoglycan aggregates

• Structure of cartilage proteoglycans

• Interaction of cartilage collagen fibrils and proteoglycans: Application of fluorescent labelling techniques for assay of enzymes degrading cartilage

• Chain composition of pepsin-solubilized collagen from normal bovine and osteoarthrotic human articular cartilage

• Passive agglutination method using collagen-coated tanned sheep erythrocytes to demonstrate collagen-glycosaminoglycan interaction

II. Short communications

• Procollagen of chick xyphoid cartilage

• Nature and location of crosslinks in cartilage collagen

• Discontinuous nature of the protein-keratan sulphate core of cartilage proteoglycan

• Concentration, distribution, and metabolism of glycosaminoglycans in different layers of normal human articular cartilage

• Variations in glycosaminoglycans with surface site in human knee joint cartilage

• Charged group behaviour in cartilage proteoglycans in relation to pH

• Equilibria of calcium and phosphate ions in human articular cartilage

III. Metabolism

• Nucleotide sugar metabolism in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis

• Biosynthesis of proteoglycans in cartilage

• Cartilage turnover

III. Short communications

• Effect of in vitro incubation on distribution and synthesis of glycosaminoglycans of articular cartilage

• Effect of antiproteoglycan serum and Hyaluronidase on metabolic functions of calf cartilage cells in vitro

• Overlabelling of chondroitin sulphate (ChS) chains after application of specific inhibitors of their biosynthesis

• Synthesis of cerebroside sulphatides in human articular cartilage

• Circadian rhythms in the excretion of urinary acid glycosaminoglycans

IV. Enzymes and degradation

• Enzymes involved in degradation of cartilage in osteoarthrosis

• Breakdown of protein-polysaccharide complexes by cartilage proteases

• The possible function of lysozyme in cartilage metabolism

IV. Short communications

• Evidence for secretion of a proteolytic enzyme from rheumatoid pannus and synovium

• Action of rheumatoid synovial collagenase on cartilage collagen

• Mechanism of cartilage and synovial fluid hyaluronate degradation by polysaccharidases

• Response of articular cartilage in organ culture to growth hormone

• Release and degradation of sulphated proteoglycans and collagen from the cell layer of human chondrocytes

• Studies on cartilage vascularization

V.A. Functional properties

• Fluid transport in cartilage

• Fundamental fluid transport mechanisms through articular cartilage

• An approximate equation for weeping lubrication, solved with an electrical analogue

• Purification and properties of articular lubricant

• An overall view of synovial joint lubrication

V.A. Short communications

• Proteins associated with hyaluronic acid

• Formation of lubricating monolayers at the cartilage surface

• Lubrication defect of immobilized connective tissue matrices: Study of the biomechanical and biochemical characteristics of normal and immobilized rabbit knee

V.B. Functional properties

• Some aspects of the mechanical behaviour of articular cartilage

• In vitro fatigue testing of articular cartilage

• Mechanical properties of articular cartilage and their relationship to matrix degradation and age

• Contact pressures in the loaded cadaver human hip

V.B. Short communications

• A simple mechanical model of articular cartilage

• A new approach to the determination of the elastic modulus of articular cartilage

• Wear properties of articular cartilage

• Load bearing function of the menisci of the knee joint

VI. Pathogenesis of osteoarthrosis

• Pathogenesis of osteoarthrosis: An hypothesis

• Articular cartilage lesions in the Liverpool population

• Contribution to the study of the initial stage of cartilage degeneration

• Bone density in osteoarthrosis

• Mechanical factors in the aetiology of osteoarthrosis

VI. Short communications

• Histological changes in osteoarthrotic femoral head cartilage

• Cartilage of the patella and its degeneration: Topographical variation of the glycosaminoglycan content

• Ultrastructural and histological studies on articular cartilage in experimental osteoarthrosis

• Proteoglycan aggregation in early experimental osteoarthrosis

• Experimentally-induced osteoarthrosis in the dog: Collagen biosynthesis in control and fibrillated articular cartilage

• Experimental evidence for an injury threshold for articular cartilage

• Early loss of glycosaminoglycans in experimental haemarthrosis in dogs

• Osteocyte death in rheumatic diseases

• Differentiation and maintenance of articular (secondary) cartilage on avian membrane bones

• Immunocytochemical and historical studies of a reversible transformation of chondrocytes in degraded cartilage matrix to a fibroblast-like morphology

Conclusions of a working party of morbid anatomists

Bibliography