On the healing of wounds in articular cartilages, and on the removal of these structures after amputations at the joints : with remarks on the relation which exists between the diseases of cartilage and ulceration and inflalmmation in other textures / by P. Redfern.

  • Redfern, Peter, 1821-1912
Date:
[1851]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the healing of wounds in articular cartilages, and on the removal of these structures after amputations at the joints : with remarks on the relation which exists between the diseases of cartilage and ulceration and inflalmmation in other textures / by P. Redfern. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the cut surfaces were in such close contact, before the parts were examined by means of sections, as to lead to the supposition that union had taken place. On the examination of these wo tin s, no effused matter of any kind appeared on the perfectly smooth cut sur¬ faces ; but as the cells near to them in the substance of _the cartilage were obviously enlarged and rounded, having m their interior three or four corpuscles into which their nucleus appeared to have divided, or a number of bright granules, there appears reason to believe that union might still have occurred had more time been allowed. After the foregoing observations, I no longer entertain the slight¬ est doubt that wounds in articular cartilages are capable of perfect union by the formation of fibrous tissue out of the texture of the cut surfaces. The essential parts of the process appear to be the soften¬ ing of the inter-cellular substance of the cartilage, the release of the nuclei of its cells, the formation of white fibrous tissue from the softened inter-cellular substance, and of nuclear fibres, by the elon¬ gation of the free nuclei. It does not appear necessary that the ceils should become much enlarged or crowded with corpuscles, as they are seen in Fig. 1, for the union represented in Figs, 3 and 4 is still more perfect, and it took place without any enlargement of the cells, or increase in the number of their corpuscular contents; these changes, therefore, though they may contribute materially m some cases to the rapidity of completion of the process under considera¬ tion, are clearly not essential in any of its stages. _ Removal of Articular Cartilages after Amputations at the Joints. —The foot of a young dog was amputated at the ankle joint, and treated in the usual way ; union by the first intention took place and was complete in a few days, after which the animal appeared in perfect health, and went about as if nothing had happened, on y occasionally bringing the amputated limb to the ground, lhe part was examined at the end of forty-six days, and presented the follow- in o' appearances:—The cicatrix is firm, and adheres to the end of the bones. Two or three of the ligatures applied upon the vessels are enclosed in small dense cysts containing a small quantity of red¬ dish fluid. All the divided tendons have elongated swellings upon them near their ends. The swellings are composed of dense fibrous tissue with fusiform cells, and present a large number of nuclei after the action of acetic acid. Under the skin a considerable layer of very dense fibrous tissue covers the ends of the bones, and adheres very strongly to the cartilage, but can he detached m seve¬ ral places if much force be employed. The cartilage is but little thinner than usual; its deep surface presents a few calcified ceils, but in other respects it appears healthy. The cells of the super- ficial layers are enlarged, many are rounded, and measure about _]_th of an inch in diameter, others remain of the elongated form, andVeasure T*„th by OTVoth to 2iWth, of “ inch’. 0116 sures TnVoth A yjWth °/ an mch‘ Each. “I1 c?lltams a 5afge nucleus and a number of bright granules, varying in size iiom jo-ooo