Histopathological Study in Posterior Cruciate Ligament of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in Iraqi Patients

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disorder of the musculoskeletal system and is a consequence of mechanical and biological events that destabilize tissue homeostasis in articular joints. The present study focuses on some histological changes of posterior cruciate ligament in both (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thirty patients with OA and 30 patients with RA were studied to determine the effects of OA and RA on the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the human knee joints. Microscopic examination of PCL with OA showed degenerative changes, aggregation of inflammation cells and congestion.In addition, section of PCL with RA showed hydropic degenerative changes with edema, ligamentocytes proliferation and aggregation of inflammation cells.The PCL histopathological changes of OA were less severe than in the RA.There was a weaker correlation between aging and total histological changes of PCL.