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Summary
The surface structure of the knee joint meniscus and the triangular fibrocartilage of the wrist in normal and RA joints were examined by scanning electron microscopy and histologically. The surface of the normal meniscus showed a regular pattern of ridges composed of closely woven collagen fibre bundles. In high-power views, the ridges were seen to be crossed by fine collagen fibrils. The surface of the triangular fibrocartilage was smoother than that of the knee meniscus.
In RA, desquamation of the collagen fibre bundles was revealed as an early change; in more advanced cases also marked fraying of the bundles with inflammatory cells on the surface. These findings are discussed, particularly in relation to the hypothesis that the disintegration of the fibrocartilage is caused by activated lysosomal enzymes.