Abstract
Solitary enchondromas obtained from the small bones of the hand were studied with transmission electron microscopy.
Three cell types were seen as follows: (1) young looking, active cells with extensive dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and well defined Golgi and mitochondria; (2) older looking, degenerating cells with dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, well defined Golgi, glycogen masses, vacuoles containing tropocollagen, lipid and myelin figures; and (3) dying cells showing loss of cell membrane and lysosomal-like bodies.
A young chondroblastic cell may try to mature, become a normal chondrocyte that produces normal matrix but it does not succeed and dies.
Enchondromal cells are not capable of forming tropocollagen or synthesizing proteoglycans for the matrix.
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