Do Subchondral Bone Changes Exacerbate or Precede Articular Cartilage Destruction in Osteoarthritis of the Elderly?

Gerontology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 296-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen J. Bailey ◽  
Jason P. Mansell
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 731-741
Author(s):  
Zhennian He ◽  
Pengfei Nie ◽  
Jianli Lu ◽  
Yong Ling ◽  
Jian Guo ◽  
...  

Aims Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling joint disorder and mechanical loading is an important pathogenesis. This study aims to investigate the benefits of less mechanical loading created by intermittent tail suspension for knee OA. Methods A post-traumatic OA model was established in 20 rats (12 weeks old, male). Ten rats were treated with less mechanical loading through intermittent tail suspension, while another ten rats were treated with normal mechanical loading. Cartilage damage was determined by gross appearance, Safranin O/Fast Green staining, and immunohistochemistry examinations. Subchondral bone changes were analyzed by micro-CT and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, and serum inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Our radiographs showed that joint space was significantly enlarged in rats with less mechanical loading. Moreover, cartilage destruction was attenuated in the less mechanical loading group with lower histological damage scores, and lower expression of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS)-5, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, and MMP-13. In addition, subchondral bone abnormal changes were ameliorated in OA rats with less mechanical loading, as reduced bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV), and number of osteophytes and osteoclasts in the subchondral bone were observed. Finally, the level of serum inflammatory cytokines was significantly downregulated in the less mechanical loading group compared with the normal mechanical loading group, as well as the expression of NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in the cartilage. Conclusion Less mechanical loading alleviates cartilage destruction, subchondral bone changes, and secondary inflammation in OA joints. This study provides fundamental insights into the benefit of non-weight loading rest for patients with OA. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(10):731–741.


Author(s):  
Kevin B. Hoover

Chapter 111 discusses imaging of articular cartilage. The importance of cartilage in normal joint function necessitates the use of high-resolution sequences for cartilage assessment. Cartilage loss is inferred on radiographs and CT images by the presence of joint space loss, altered alignment, and subchondral bone changes. MRI allows the direct assessment of articular cartilage structure and injury in contrast to the indirect visualization obtained with radiography and CT. Direct visualization in situ has helped to advance the treatment of injured cartilage, which is increasingly common in clinical practice. The imaging of cartilage composition may aid in the development of treatments that prevent or stabilize cartilage injury.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3737-3744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Feng ◽  
Xiaobin Li ◽  
Jian Lin ◽  
Wenhao Zheng ◽  
Zhichao Hu ◽  
...  

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disease and is widespread in the elderly population and is characterized by erosion of articular cartilage, subchondral bone sclerosis and synovitis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. S58
Author(s):  
T. Shirai ◽  
M. Kobayashi ◽  
K. Nishitani ◽  
T. Satake ◽  
H. Kuroki ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen Raudenbush ◽  
Dale R. Sumner ◽  
Parimal M. Panchal ◽  
Carol Muehleman

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)


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