Summary
The tidemark is a metabolically active zone in the calcified layer of the cartilage in which it is possible to show that there is calcifying activity even over a short period of time using a tetracycline labelling technique. The tidemark slowly advances in the direction of the non-calcified cartilage and analysis of double-tetracycline labelled cartilage shows that this is not an appositional phenomenon like that occurring in bone, but that, where present, several tidemarks can be labelled at the same time. Each tidemark may therefore be metabolically active and it is not just the tidemark adjacent to hyaline cartilage which incorporates calcium.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fawns HT, Landells JW (1953) Histochemical studies in rheumatic conditions: I Observations on the fine structure of the matrix of normal bone and cartilage. Ann Rheum Dis 12: 105–113
Green WT, Martin GN, Eanes ED, Sokoloff L (1970) Microradiographic study of the calcified layer of articular cartilage. Arch Pathol 90: 151–158
Lemperg R (1971) The subchondral bone plate of the femoral head in adult rabbits. I: Spontaneous remodelling studied by microradiography and tetracycline labelling. Virchows Arch [A] 352: 1–13
Lane LB, Aquiles V, Bullough PG (1977) The vascularity and remodelling of subchondral bone and calcified cartilage in adult human femoral and humeral heads. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 59: 272–278
Bullough PG, Jagannath A (1983) The morphology of the calcification front in articular cartilage. Its significance in joint function. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 65: 72–78
Lane LB, Bullough PG (1980) Age-related changes in the thickness of the calcified zone and the number of tidemarks in adult human articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 62: 372–375
Revell PA (1986) Pathology of bone. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Samuelson KM, Freeman MAR, Levack B, Rasmussen GL, Revell PA (1988) Homograft bone in revision acetabular arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 70: 367–372
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Revell, P.A., Pirie, C., Amir, G. et al. Metabolic activity in the calcified zone of cartilage: Observations on tetracycline labelled articular cartilage in human osteoarthritic hips. Rheumatol Int 10, 143–147 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02274838
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02274838