[Research progress of protective effects of alendronate on articular cartilage in osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the recent development on chondroprotective effect of alendronate (ALN) on articular cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS: The related literature was reviewed and the main achievements in vitro/vivo studies in the fields were summarized.

RESULTS: ALN can improve the metabolic microenvironment of the articular cartilage in OA, inhibit subchondral bone remodeling, so it has potential protective effect on articular cartilage.

CONCLUSION: ALN is expected to become a disease-modifying OA drug in future, but OA treatment still lack a uniform basic and clinical evaluation criteria, so it has guiding significance in development and application of ALN to develope a uniform standard and obtain the clinical data.