Experimental production of cartilage necrosis by cold injury: failure to cause degenerative joint disease.

A cryoprobe (-20 to -80 C) was applied for 10-60 seconds to cause necrosis of metatarsal head cartilages of 11 rabbits. Segmental loss of nuclear staining was noted at 1 week and depletion of chondroitin sulfate (toluidine blue metachromasia and staining with safranin 0) a few days later. No degenerative joint disease was evident up to 6 months later. The latter finding suggests that, in addition to chondrocyte death, externally imposed stresses are necessary to disrupt the collagenous "skeleton" and initiate the changes of degenerative joint disease.