Features of morphological changes in articular tissues in vascular diseases of the lower extremities

Abstract

Background. Big epidemiological studies have revealed a link between osteoarthritis and some cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, cerebral circulation disorders, vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Objective. Determination of the features of morphological changes in the synovial membrane of the joint, articular cartilage and subchondral bone in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Methods. Histological studies of articular tissues of 30 amputated lower extremities in persons with vascular diseases of the lower extremities were performed. Results. In all samples of the capsule of the knee joint, gross violations of the microcirculatory canal and histological changes of osteoarthritis and subchondral osteoporosis were revealed. At the same time, the revealed changes in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone were more pronounced in the patellar, which in the knee joint carries a negligible functional load, but receives blood supply only from the vessels of the articular capsule than in the joint surface of tibia, carrying the lion's share of the functional load on the knee joint, but receiving blood supply from the posterior tibial artery. Conclusion. The revealed features of morphological changes in articular tissues in vascular diseases of the lower extremities indicate that these diseases play an important role in the development of osteoarthritis and are more significant than the functional load on the joint. Further studies of the features of morphological changes in articular tissues in the samples of various contingents of persons are needed.