Meachim G, Bentley G, Baker R
Ann Rheum Dis. 1977 Dec;36(6):563-8. doi: 10.1136/ard.36.6.563.
The thickness of left patellar articular cartilages after formalin fixation was studied in a series of autopsies on 82 subjects aged 25-96 years. For each specimen the minimal uncalcified cartilage thickness in a transverse patellar slab was determined separately for a 'lateral' segment and a 'central and medial' segment. In the women the cartilage from subjects more than 50 years old showed progressive thinning with increasing age. This was due to lesions causing disintegration of the tissue and not to matrix shrinkage. It had a strong potential to progress to full-thickness cartilage loss in the older women, and to give an appearance indistinguishable from osteoarthrosis as seen in surgical excision specimens. This progression towards patellofemoral osteoarthrosis in the elderly affects the female population generally, and not just a special subgroup; however, the incidence of clinical symptoms from this cause is not known. In men progressive thinning with age of patellar cartilage in subjects more than 50 years old was less severe, especially so in the case of the 'lateral' segment; a site of full-thickness uncalcified cartilage loss on the left patella at autopsy was seen only occasionally in the older men.
在对82名年龄在25至96岁的受试者进行的一系列尸检中，研究了福尔马林固定后左髌骨关节软骨的厚度。对于每个标本，分别在一个横向髌骨切片中确定“外侧”段和“中央及内侧”段的最小未钙化软骨厚度。在女性中，50岁以上受试者的软骨随年龄增长呈现渐进性变薄。这是由于导致组织崩解的病变，而非基质收缩。在老年女性中，它很有可能发展为全层软骨缺失，并且在手术切除标本中呈现出与骨关节炎难以区分的外观。老年人中这种向髌股关节骨关节炎的进展普遍影响女性群体，而非仅特定亚组；然而，由此导致的临床症状发生率尚不清楚。在男性中，50岁以上受试者的髌骨软骨随年龄增长的渐进性变薄程度较轻，尤其是“外侧”段；在老年男性尸检中，仅偶尔可见左髌骨全层未钙化软骨缺失的情况。
