[Chondrocyte proliferation in joint cartilages in beginning arthrosis--experimental studies].

The cellular reaction of the articular cartilage in the beginning of the arthrosis has not been investigated very often up to now. An arthrosis model of little progression was used for this investigation by operative production of a valgus position of the proximal tibia at an angle of 30 degrees in the knee-joint of adult rabbits (in connection with Reimann, 1973). Proliferative processes of the chondrocytes are in the foreground with the beginning of arthrosis. This could be observed by means of histological and autoradiographical investigations with 3H-thymidine. The mode of the cell division is discussed. Mitotic divisions after modulation of the chondrocytes in a chondroblastic phase are probable.