After the arteries were injected with gelatin and ink, the arterial distribution and the vascular architecture of the elbow joint were observed in 20 fetal and 8 adult arms macroscopically and microscopically. The arteries of the elbow anastomose to form networks around the joint, from which many twigs supply the capusle and the intra-articular structures. In the capusle, the vessels make up a ladder-like mesh among the fibrous bundles. At the margin of the capusle, the vessels ramify to form a complex network, the circulus articuli vasculosus, between the fibrous and the synovial layers. The vessels from the circulus articuli vasculosus supply the synovial membrane, the synovial fold or the fat pad and the epiphysis or the epiphyseal cartilage. There are 2 to 4 layers of mesh in the synovial membrane of capusle, a glomerulus-like network in the synovial fold or the fat pad, many series of bow-shaped net in the synovial membrane on the surface of the neck of elbow bone. There is a central artery and a cage-like capillary network in the cartilage canal. The secondary center of ossification appears in the vascularized area of the cartilage. No intra-osseous intercommunications of the epiphyseal artery and nutritive artery exist in the epiphysis until the ossification of the epiphyseal plate.

BACKGROUND: The survival rate of articular chondrocytes is low after traditional cryopreservation,and great differences existed in chondrocytes from surface layer and deep layer,which easily result in graft degeneration and lead to surgery failure.OBJECTIVE: To establish rabbit allograft models of graded frozen articular cartilages with holes made before cryopreservation and to observe the effect of holed cryopreservation on the rabbit articular cartilages.METHODS: Osteochondral plugs taken aseptically from 2 months old rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: the experimental group,making holes(3 mm× 3 mm)in articular cartilages and graded freezing; non-hole graded freezing group,non-making holes and graded freezing; cryopreservation group: non-making holes and rapid freezing.The grafts were thawed and transplanted into the relevant articular cartilage defects of recipient rabbits.The grafts differences were observed by gross observation,histochemistry and immunohistochemistry staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The gross observation,histochemistry and immunohistochemistry staining of the experimental group were superior to the cryopreservation group.Though there were no significant differences between the non-hole graded freezing group and the experimental group,however,the experimental group enhanced the protective effect on cartilage tissue in the middle layer.The graded cryopreservation of articular cartilage gets an advantage over rapid cryopreservation.And the articular cartilage with holes could be preserved successfully in graded cryopreservation,which assures the survival and function of chondrocytes and slows down degrading process of the articular cartilage tissue after thawed and transplanted.