Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

OBJECTIVE: Alterations to fluid transport from bone-to-cartilage may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. Larger biological molecules found in bone may transport from bone-to-cartilage (e.g., insulin, 5kDa). However, many questions remain about fluid transport between these tissues. The objectives of this study were to (1) test for diffusion of 3kDa molecular tracers from bone-to-cartilage and (2) assess potential differences in bone-to-cartilage fluid transport between different loading conditions...

OBJECTIVE: To determine if global, central, or peripheral adiposity is associated with prevalent and worsening cartilage lesions following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: In 107 individuals one-year post-ACLR, adiposity was assessed globally (body mass index, BMI), centrally (waist circumference), and peripherally (knee subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness) from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Tibiofemoral and patellofemoral cartilage lesions were assessed from knee MRIs at 1- and 5-years post-ACLR...

OBJECTIVE: Assess the efficacy of an 8-week virtual, physiotherapist (PT)-guided knee health program (SOAR) to improve knee extensor strength in individuals at risk of post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis (PTOA). METHOD: In this superiority, randomized delayed-control trial, persons aged 16-35 years, 1-4 years after a self-reported knee joint injury were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive the SOAR program immediately (experimental group) or after a 9-week delay (control group)...

OBJECTIVE: Chondrocytes, which typically rely on anaerobic metabolism, exhibit upregulated biosynthetic activity when subjected to conditions that elicit mixed aerobic-anaerobic metabolism. Previously, we observed that increasing media volume resulted in the transition from anaerobic to mixed aerobic-anaerobic metabolism. Maximal extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation occurred at this transition as a result of changes in HIF-1α signaling and associated hypoxic gene expression. This study aimed to explore the effect of further increases in media availability on ECM synthesis and chondrocyte metabolism...

OBJECTIVE: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a multi-modally activated cation channel that mediates mechanotransduction pathways by which musculoskeletal tissues respond to mechanical load and regulate tissue health. Using conditional Trpv4 knockout mice, we investigated the role of Trpv4 in regulating intervertebral disc (IVD) health and injury-induced IVD degeneration. METHODS: Col2Cre;Trpv4fl/f (Trpv4 KO) mice were used to knockout Trpv4 in all type 2 collagen-expressing cells...

OBJECTIVE: Women have a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and worse clinical courses than men. However, the underlying factors and therapeutic outcomes of these sex-specific differences are incompletely researched. This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding sex differences in OA prevalence, risk factors, pain severity, functional outcomes, and use and response to therapeutics. METHODS: PubMed database was used with the title keyword combinations "{gender OR sex} AND osteoarthritis" plus additional manual search of the included papers for pertinent references, yielding 212 references...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of oligohydramnios on fetal movement and hip development, given its association with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) but unclear mechanisms. METHODS: Chick embryos were divided into four groups based on the severity of oligohydramnios induced by amniotic fluid aspiration (control, 0.2 mL, 0.4 mL, 0.6 mL). Fetal movement was assessed by detection of movement and quantification of residual amniotic fluid volume. Hip joint development was assessed by gross anatomic analysis, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) for cartilage assessment, and histologic observation at multiple time points...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence of early degenerative changes on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 24 months after a traumatic meniscal tear and to compare these changes in patients treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or physical therapy plus optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. DESIGN: We included patients aged 18-45 years with a recent onset, traumatic, MRI verified, isolated meniscal tear without radiographic osteoarthritis. Patients were randomized to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or standardized physical therapy with optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy...

OBJECTIVES: First, we explored the association between Gender Role Expectations of Pain (GREP), and psychophysical measures of sensitization in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Second, we explored whether the association differed by level of GREP items (high vs low scores). DESIGN: We conducted secondary analyses of a cohort study. Those who were (i) age of ≥ 40, English or French speaking, ii) diagnosed with knee OA using American College of Rheumatology criteria and iii) consulting with an orthopedic surgeon were included...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the responsiveness of two unilateral lower-limb performance-based tests, the one-leg rise test and the maximal step-up test, with the bilateral 30-second chair-stand test and the self-reported measure of physical function (HOOS/KOOS). Specific aims were to evaluate responsiveness, floor/ceiling effect and association between the instruments. METHOD: Data was included from 111 participants, mean age 61.3 years (8.3), with clinically verified hip or knee osteoarthritis, who reported less than 150 minutes/week of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Research conducted using murine preclinical models of osteoarthritis (OA) over the last three decades has brought forth many exciting developments showcasing mechanisms and pathways that ‎drive disease pathogenesis. These models have identified therapeutic targets that can be modulated via innovative biologicals and pharmaceuticals. However, many of these ‎approaches have failed to translate to humans and reach the clinic. This commentary aims to highlight some of the key ‎hurdles in the translation of novel findings using preclinical OA models...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic processes are intricately linked to the resolution of innate inflammation and tissue repair, two critical steps for treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Based on lipolytic and immunoregulatory actions of norepinephrine, we hypothesized that intra-articular β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) stimulation would suppress PTOA-associated inflammation in the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) and synovium. DESIGN: We used the βAR agonist isoproterenol to perturb intra-articular metabolism 3...

OBJECTIVES: Optimizing rehabilitation strategies for osteoarthritis necessitates a comprehensive understanding of chondrocytes' mechanoresponse in both health and disease, especially in the context of the interplay between loading and key pathways involved in osteoarthritis (OA) development, like canonical Wnt signaling. This study aims to elucidate the role of Wnt signaling in the mechanoresponsiveness of healthy and osteoarthritic human cartilage. METHODS: We used an ex-vivo model involving short-term physiological mechanical loading of human cartilage explants...

Exercise is universally recommended as a primary strategy for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain. The recommendations are based on results from more than 100 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compare exercise to no-attention control groups. However, due to the inherent difficulties with adequate placebo control, participant blinding and the use of patient reported outcomes, the existing RCT evidence is imperfect. To better understand the evidence used to support a causal relationship between exercise and knee OA pain relief, we examined the existing evidence through the Bradford Hill considerations for causation...

OBJECTIVE: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) aim to support management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), but recommendations are often conflicting and implementation is poor, contributing to evidence-to-practice gaps. This systematic review investigated the contextual and methodological factors contributing to conflicting recommendations for hip and knee OA. METHOD: Our systematic review appraised CPGs for managing hip and knee OA in adults ≥18 years (PROSPERO CRD42021276635)...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of using neutron tomography to gain new knowledge of human articular cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). Different sample preparation techniques were evaluated to identify maximum intra-tissue contrast. DESIGN: Human articular cartilage samples from 14 deceased donors (18-75 years, 9 males, 5 females) and 4 patients undergoing total knee replacement due to known OA (all female, 61-75 years) were prepared using different techniques: control in saline, treated with heavy water saline, fixed and treated in heavy water saline, and fixed and dehydrated with ethanol...