Articular cartilage lesions that do not disrupt the integrity of subchondral bone are not capable of spontaneous repair. The asymptomatic nature of these lesions leads to articular cartilage degeneration and development of the osteoarthritic process. To avoid joint replacement surgery, several cellular therapies have been developed. These therapies focus on the regeneration of a new tissue, who...

We investigated the three-dimensional morphological differences of the articular surface of the femoral trochlea in patients with recurrent dislocation of the patella and a normal control group using three-dimensional computer models. There were 12 patients (12 knees) and ten control subjects (ten knees). Three-dimensional computer models of the femur, including the articular cartilage, were cr...

Osteoarthritis is characterized by a progressive degradation of articular cartilage leading to loss of joint function. The molecular mechanisms regulating pathogenesis and progression of osteoarthritis are poorly understood. Remarkably, some characteristics of this joint disease resemble chondrocyte differentiation processes during skeletal development by endochondral ossification. In healthy a...

OBJECTIVE High-dose liposomal bisphosphonates exert apoptotic effects. This work studies the chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of intra-articularly administered low-dose, non-cytotoxic liposomal clodronate. METHODS Antigen induced arthritis in rabbits was treated with intra-articular injections of liposomal clodronate. Drug effects on cartilage oligomeric matrix protein COMP ...

Recently, biomaterials-based tissue engineering strategies such as hydrogels have offered great promise in repairing articular cartilage. Mechanical failure testing in outcome analyses is given the crucial clinical importance to the success of engineered constructs. Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) are gaining more attention due to their superior mechanical integrity. Extensive fracture toughne...

OBJECTIVE The articular cartilage of autologous osteochondral grafts is typically different in structure and function from local host cartilage and thereby presents a remodeling challenge. The hypothesis of this study was that properties of the articular cartilage of trochlear autografts and adjacent femoral condyle are associated with the 3-D geometrical match between grafted and contralateral...

The effect of mechanical loading on articular cartilage is the topic chosen for the second editorial of this newly launched journal. The aim of this interesting editorial is to illustrate the cell signaling correlated to the mechanical loading, some aspects of the mechanobiology and the positive and negative effects of the mechanical loading on articular cartilage. The benefits of the mechanica...

The treatment of cartilage defects poses a clinical challenge owing to the lack of intrinsic regenerative capacity of cartilage. The use of tissue engineering techniques to bioengineer articular cartilage is promising and may hold the key to the successful regeneration of cartilage tissue. Natural and synthetic biomaterials have been used to recreate the microarchitecture of articular cartilage...

Articular cartilage is characterized by its poor capacity for self-repair. Once articular cartilage is injured and defected, it cannot be spontaneously repaired and finally develops osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a major leading cause of severe activity limitations and disability, resulting in worldwide socio-economical burden. At present, there is no established therapy for adequate repair of dama...