[Age dependent possibilities for healing in cartilage injuries (experimental investigations with animals) (author's transl)].

Regenerative and degenerative changes of cartilage were studied in animals by micromorphological methods and autoradiography. Cartilage lesions of defined size were set in the femoral condyle of rabbits of variing age by means of an electrical drill developed by us. We used juvenile animals, 3 months old, and senile animals 4 years old. The lesions were studied by lightmicroscopy, electronmicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In young animals we were able to demonstrate prevailing reparative changes after injury and the potency for genuine regeneration originating from cartilage. Isolated chondral lesions develop reactive tissue originating mainly from superficial parts of the cartilage. When subchondral bone is exposed we see granulation tissue filling up the defect and change by metaplasia. The replacing tissue originating from superficial cartilage as well as from subchondral bone is able to fill the defect within 3 months. In the replacing tissue originating from cartilage we find fibroblasts and fibrocytes with many mitoses. Consecutively the cells are rounding increasingly. Finally chondrocytes are developing. At the same time as these reparative changes occur we see degenerative changes with decreased mucopolysaccharide synthesis, cell necroses with consecutive decrease in number of cells and singular small cluster. In old animals we could not demonstrate any reparative or regenerative changes after injuries; the artificial defect in cartilage persists. Instead, degenerative changes with signs of arthrosis are developing rapidly: chondroitin sulfate synthesis is decreased, there is ample cluster formation, cell necrosis, decrease in number of cells, and incorporation of paraplasmatic substances in cartilage. We could not demonstrate any mitoses. The causes for the inability of cartilage of aged individuals for reparative changes are discussed.