Abstract

The joint cartilage, subchondral bone and synovium are currently thought to be responsible for the different structural changes seen during the evoluation of disease process in osteoarthritis. There is not enough published literature about joint capsule changes in Heberden's nodes, one of the most common manifestations of osteoarthritis. To investigate is possible role of the joint capsule in the pathologic process in the development of Heberden's nodes. We report the histological examination of joint capsule dıstal interphalangeal joints in two patients with Heberden's nodes. We excised V shaped joint capsule parts longitudinally and laterally of distal interphalangial joints of patients with Heberden’s arthritis and aimed to see histopathologic examination of capsule. Histological examination showed the capsule to be composed of hyalinized collagenous stroma containing thickened, closely packed, hypo cellular collagen bundles and small blood vessels and some mature lipocytes groups. The study revealed that fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis occurs in the joint capsule of Heberden's nodes, we postulated those changes are predictive ofosseos proliferation and further research to be established if the joint capsule or soft tissue around the distal interphalangeal joints contribute in the pathological process inosteoarthritis.

Key words: Heberden's nodes, joint capsule, fibrosis, osteoarthritis