Sacral and iliac articular cartilage thickness and cellularity: relationship to subchondral bone end-plate thickness and cancellous bone density

SummaryHistological measurements of the thickness of non-calcified and calcified cartilage, as well as the subchondral bone plate in five locations on the femoral trochlea and medial femoral condyles of species were used in preclinical studies of articular cartilage and compared to those of the human knee. Cadaver specimens were obtained of six human knees, as well as six equine, six goat, six dog, six sheep and six rabbit stifle joints (the animal equivalent of the human knee). Specimens were taken from the lateral trochlear ridge, medial trochlear ridge and medial femoral condyle. After histopathological processing, the thickness of non-calcified and calcified cartilage layers, as well as the subchondral bone plate, was measured. Average articular cartilage thickness over five locations were 2.2–2.5 mm for human, 0.3 mm for rabbit, 0.4–0.5 mm for sheep, 0.6–1.3 mm for dog, 0.7–1.5 mm for goat and 1.5–2 mm for horse. The horse provides the closest approximation to humans in terms of articular cartilage thickness, and this approximation is considered relevant in pre-clinical studies of cartilage healing.

Download Full-text

Subchondral bone/cartilage: a functional unit? Bone density and cartilage thickness are positively correlated in non osteoarthritic and negatively correlated in osteoarthritic knees - a combined 3D analysis using ct arthrography

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage ◽

10.1016/j.joca.2018.02.170 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. S80

Author(s):

P. Omoumi ◽

H. Babel ◽

B. Jolles-Haeberli ◽

J. Favre

Keyword(s):

Bone Density ◽

Subchondral Bone ◽

Functional Unit ◽

Cartilage Thickness ◽

3D Analysis ◽

Ct Arthrography ◽

And Cartilage

Download Full-text

Subchondral Thickness Does Not Vary with Cartilage Degeneration on the Metatarsal

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association ◽

10.7547/87507315-93-2-104 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

pp. 104-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Doreen Raudenbush ◽

Dale R. Sumner ◽

Parimal M. Panchal ◽

Carol Muehleman

Keyword(s):

Articular Cartilage ◽

Subchondral Bone ◽

Articular Surface ◽

Plate Thickness ◽

Cartilage Degeneration ◽

Metatarsal Head ◽

First Metatarsal ◽

Calcified Cartilage ◽

Bone Changes ◽

Subchondral Plate

Osteoarthritis is a disease of synovial joints that involves articular cartilage breakdown with accompanying bone changes, including subchondral sclerosis and osteophytosis. However, conflicting data have been reported concerning the cause-and-effect relationship, if any, between these changes. The authors studied the subchondral plate (subchondral bone plus calcified cartilage) in relation to the degree of articular cartilage degeneration on the distal articular surface of the first metatarsal, a region prone to osteoarthritis. No correlation was found between subchondral plate thickness or porosity and the degree of cartilage degeneration in the study sample of 96 metatarsals. Owing to the suggestion that initiation of cartilage fibrillation may be a result of steep stiffness gradients in the subchondral bone, the ratios of subchondral plate thickness in adjacent regions of the metatarsal head were examined in detail, but no correlation was found with subchondral degeneration. Thus increases in subchondral bone thickness are not associated with increases in cartilage degeneration on the first metatarsal, which may imply that subchondral bone changes do not cause osteoarthritis in this joint. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(2): 104-110, 2003)

Download Full-text

Tetrapolar Measurement of Electrical Conductivity and Thickness of Articular Cartilage

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.1785805 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 126 (4) ◽

pp. 475-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

J. S. Binette ◽

M. Garon ◽

P. Savard ◽

M. D. McKee ◽

M. D. Buschmann

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Articular Cartilage ◽

Subchondral Bone ◽

Articular Surface ◽

Cartilage Thickness ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Bovine Articular Cartilage ◽

Calcified Cartilage ◽

Non Destructive

A tetrapolar method to measure electrical conductivity of cartilage and bone, and to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage attached to bone, was developed. We determined the electrical conductivity of humeral head bovine articular cartilage and subchondral bone from a 1- to 2-year-old steer to be 1.14±0.11S/m(mean±sd,n=11) and 0.306±0.034S/m,(mean±sd,n=3), respectively. For a 4-year-old cow, articular cartilage and subchondral bone electrical conductivity were 0.88±0.08S/m(mean±sd,n=9) and 0.179±0.046S/m(mean±sd,n=3), respectively. Measurements on slices of cartilage taken from different distances from the articular surface of the steer did not reveal significant depth-dependence of electrical conductivity. We were able to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage with reasonable precision (<20% error) by injecting current from multiple electrode pairs with different inter-electrode distances. Requirements for the precision of this method to measure cartilage thickness include the presence of a distinct layer of calcified cartilage or bone with a much lower electrical conductivity than that of uncalcified articular cartilage, and the use of inter-electrode distances of the current injecting electrodes that are on the order of the cartilage thickness. These or similar methods present an attractive approach to the non-destructive determination of cartilage thickness, a parameter that is required in order to estimate functional properties of cartilage attached to bone, and evaluate the need for therapeutic interventions in arthritis.

Download Full-text

Histomorphometric Analysis of Bone Density in Relation to Tactile Sense of the Surgeon During Dental Implant Placement

The Open Dentistry Journal ◽

10.2174/1874210601812010046 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 46-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amir Reza Rokn ◽

Akram Labibzadeh ◽

Amir Alireza Rasouli Ghohroudi ◽

Ahmad Reza Shamshiri ◽

Somaye Solhjoo

Keyword(s):

Bone Density ◽

Cortical Bone ◽

Bone Quality ◽

Cancellous Bone ◽

Plate Thickness ◽

Cortical Plate ◽

Histomorphometric Analysis ◽

Tactile Sense ◽

Implant Placement ◽

Haversian Canals

Introduction: A correct diagnosis and optimal treatment planning is essential for success in implant dentistry. Proper diagnosis of bone quality is an important part of the diagnostic procedure. Objective: The purpose of this study was to correlate the tactile sense of the surgeon in the assessment of bone density to the histomorphometric analysis of bone quality. Methods: In this study, 56 bone samples from 33 patients were harvested from implant sites with trephine drills. The samples were analyzed with Image J software. In the samples following parameters were measured: BV/TV, superficial cortical plate thickness, the number and thickness of haversian canals in cortical bone and the number, thickness and distance of trabecules in cancellous bone. The clinical hardness of bone during drilling was evaluated by surgeon according to Misch. GEE analysis with exchangeable correlation structure and linear model was used to evaluate the relationship between the tactile sense of the surgeon and histomorphometric parameters and all analysis was adjusted for two confounding variables: gender and location. Results: There were 51.79% implants in D2 samples and 48.21% in D3. Bone classification according to Misch was significantly correlated to distance of trabecules in cancellous bone (P-value=0.05), and shown marginally significant correlation with mean superficial cortical bone thickness (P-value =0.07) and number of haversian canals (P-value =0.005) in cortical bone. Discussion: There were differences between our results and others. The authors believed that these differences mainly are because of confounding factors, that in this study were eliminated. The clinical finding during surgery can approximately explain the histologic properties of bone. Conclusion: It is concluded that tactile sense of the surgeon can exhibit the histologic properties of the bone, and we are able to estimate the healing prognosis of the bone in implant placement.

Download Full-text

The Subchondral Bone Is Affected by Bone Marrow Stimulation: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Animal Studies

Cartilage ◽

10.1177/1947603517711220 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 70-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Dexter Seow ◽

Youichi Yasui ◽

Ian D. Hutchinson ◽

Eoghan T. Hurley ◽

Yoshiharu Shimozono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Articular Cartilage ◽

Bone Density ◽

Subchondral Bone ◽

Animal Studies ◽

Bone Marrow Stimulation ◽

Marrow Stimulation ◽

Chondral Defects ◽

Meta Analyses

Objective Despite the mechanical and biological roles of subchondral bone (SCB) in articular cartilage health, there remains no consensus on the postoperative morphological status of SCB following bone marrow stimulation (BMS). The purpose of this systematic review was to clarify the morphology of SCB following BMS in preclinical, translational animal models. Design The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were systematically reviewed using specific search terms on April 19, 2016 based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The morphology of the SCB was assessed using of microcomputed tomography (bone density) and histology (microscopic architecture). Results Seventeen animal studies with 520 chondral lesions were included. The morphology of SCB did not recover following BMS. Compared with untreated chondral defects, BMS resulted in superior morphology of superficial SCB and cartilage but inferior morphology (specifically bone density, P < 0.05) of the deep SCB. Overall, the use of biological adjuvants during BMS resulted in the superior postoperative morphology of SCB. Conclusions Alterations in the SCB following BMS were confirmed. Biologics adjuvants may improve the postoperative morphology of both SCB and articular cartilage. Refinements of BMS techniques should incorporate consideration of SCB damage and restoration. Investigations to optimize BMS techniques incorporating both minimally invasive approaches and biologically augmented platforms are further warranted.

Download Full-text

Betaine Attenuates Osteoarthritis by Inhibiting Osteoclastogenesis and Angiogenesis in Subchondral Bone

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.723988 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Wang Yajun ◽

Cui Jin ◽

Gu Zhengrong ◽

Fang Chao ◽

Hu Yan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Articular Cartilage ◽

Subchondral Bone ◽

Mechanical Load ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Plate Thickness ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein ◽

And Function

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis with no effective therapy. Subchondral bone and overlying articular cartilage are closely associated and function as “osteo-chondral unit” in the joint. Abnormal mechanical load leads to activated osteoclast activity and increased bone resorption in the subchondral bone, which is implicated in the onset of OA pathogenesis. Thus, inhibiting subchondral bone osteoclast activation could prevent OA onset. Betaine, isolated from the Lycii Radicis Cortex (LRC), has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic and antiangiogenic properties. Here, we evaluated the effects of betaine on anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT)-induced OA mice. We observed that betaine decreased the number of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13)-positive and collagen X (Col X)-positive cells, prevented articular cartilage proteoglycan loss and lowered the OARSI score. Betaine decreased the thickness of calcified cartilage and increased the expression level of lubricin. Moreover, betaine normalized uncoupled subchondral bone remodeling as defined by lowered trabecular pattern factor (Tb.pf) and increased subchondral bone plate thickness (SBP). Additionally, aberrant angiogenesis in subchondral bone was blunted by betaine treatment. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that betaine suppressed osteoclastogenesis in vitro by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and subsequent mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. These data demonstrated that betaine attenuated OA progression by inhibiting hyperactivated osteoclastogenesis and maintaining microarchitecture in subchondral bone.

Download Full-text