Aim: Determine the possibility for adaptive growth in human condyles in a larger sample of human autopsy condyles
Subjects and Methods: Human condylar cartilage and bone were examined in an autopsy material comprising 20 individuals aged 18-31 years. The condyles were embedded in methylmetacrylate and cut on a microtome and stained. Histomorphometry, scanning electron microscopy and cartilage histology were used to analyse the tissue.
Results: The fibrocartilage could clearly be described in three zones: the hypertropic zone arranged in collums, the proliferative zone, and fibrous zone with collagen fibres. Chondrocytes could bee seen "caught" in the underlying cancellous bone with remodelling activity. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and fibrocartillage thickness, between age and hypertrophic chondrocytes, and between age and hypertropic chondrocytes in bone.
Conclusion: Quantitative and qualitative investigations of the turnover activity in the fibrocartilage and bone tissue indicated condylar growth potential in age groups uptil 30 years of age. Growth activity seemed to decline with age.