Aims. The preventive effects of bisphosphonates on articular cartilage in non-arthritic joints are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral bisphosphonates on the rate of joint space narrowing in the non-arthritic hip. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed standing whole-leg radiographs from patients who underwent knee arthroplasties from 2012 to 2020 at our institute. Patients with previous hip surgery, Kellgren–Lawrence grade ≥ II hip osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, or rheumatoid arthritis were excluded. The rate of hip joint space narrowing was measured in 398 patients (796 hips), and the effects of the use of bisphosphonates were examined using the multivariate regression model and the propensity score matching (1:2) model. Results. A total of 45 of 398 (11.3%) eligible patients were taking an oral bisphosphonate at the time of knee surgery, with a mean age of 75.8 years (SD 6.2) in bisphosphonate users and 75.7 years (SD 6.8) in non-users. The mean joint space narrowing rate was 0.04 mm/year (SD 0.11) in bisphosphonate users and 0.12 mm/year (SD 0.25) in non-users (p < 0.001). In the multivariate model, age (standardized coefficient = 0.0867, p = 0.016) and the use of a bisphosphonate (standardized coefficient = −0.182, p < 0.001) were associated with the joint space narrowing rate. After successfully matching 43 bisphosphonate users and 86 non-users, the joint narrowing rate was smaller in bisphosphonate users (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The use of bisphosphonates is associated with decreased joint degeneration in non-arthritic hips after knee arthroplasty. Bisphosphonates slow joint degeneration, thus maintaining the thickness of joint cartilage in the normal joint or during the early phase of osteoarthritis. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(11):826–834

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This study aimed to determine the expression and clinical significance of a cartilage protein, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

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Cartilage injuries rarely heal spontaneously and often require surgical intervention, leading to the formation of biomechanically inferior fibrous tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the possible effect of amelogenin on the healing process of a large osteochondral injury (OCI) in a rat model.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles secreted by all cells, enriched in proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids related to cell-to-cell communication and vital components of cell-based therapies. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived EVs have been studied as an alternative for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. However, their clinical translation is hindered by industrial and regulatory challenges. In contrast, platelet-derived EVs might reach clinics faster since platelet concentrates, such as platelet lysates (PL), are already used in therapeutics. Hence, we aimed to test the therapeutic potential of PL-derived extracellular vesicles (pEVs) as a new treatment for OA, which is a degenerative joint disease of articular cartilage and does not have any curative or regenerative treatment, by comparing its effects to those of human umbilical cord MSC-derived EVs (cEVs) on an ex vivo OA-induced model using human cartilage explants.

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Therapeutic agents that prevent chondrocyte loss, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and osteoarthritis (OA) progression are required. The expression level of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and discoidin I-like domains-containing protein 3 (EDIL3) in damaged human cartilage is significantly higher than in undamaged cartilage. However, the effect of EDIL3 on cartilage is still unknown.

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After a few passages of in vitro culture, primary human articular chondrocytes undergo senescence and loss of their phenotype. Most of the available chondrocyte cell lines have been obtained from cartilage tissues different from diarthrodial joints, and their utility for osteoarthritis (OA) research is reduced. Thus, the goal of this research was the development of immortalized chondrocyte cell lines proceeded from the articular cartilage of patients with and without OA.

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Circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the regulation of articular cartilage degeneration induced by inflammatory factors or oxidative stress. In a previous study, we found that the expression of circStrn3 was significantly reduced in chondrocytes of osteoarthritis (OA) patients and OA mice. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to explore the role and mechanism of circStrn3 in osteoarthritis.

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease worldwide, which is characterized by articular cartilage lesions. With more understanding of the disease, OA is considered to be a disorder of the whole joint. However, molecular communication within and between tissues during the disease process is still unclear. In this study, we used transcriptome data to reveal crosstalk between different tissues in OA.

Aims. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if there are differences in short-term clinical outcomes among four different types of matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT). Methods. A total of 88 patients (mean age 34 years (SD 10.03), mean BMI 25 kg/m. 2. (SD 3.51)) with full-thickness chondral lesions of the tibiofemoral joint who underwent MACT were included in this study. Clinical examinations were performed preoperatively and 24 months after transplantation. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, the Brittberg score, the Tegner Activity Scale, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. The Kruskal-Wallis test by ranks was used to compare the clinical scores of the different transplant types. Results. The mean defect size of the tibiofemoral joint compartment was 4.28 cm. 2. (SD 1.70). In total, 11 patients (12.6%) underwent transplantation with Chondro-Gide (matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI)), 40 patients (46.0%) with Hyalograft C (HYAFF), 21 patients (24.1%) with Cartilage Regeneration System (CaReS), and 15 patients (17.2%) with NOVOCART 3D. The mean IKDC Subjective Knee Form score improved from 35.71 (SD 6.44) preoperatively to 75.26 (SD 18.36) after 24 months postoperatively in the Hyalograft group, from 35.94 (SD 10.29) to 71.57 (SD 16.31) in the Chondro-Gide (MACI) group, from 37.06 (SD 5.42) to 71.49 (SD 6.76) in the NOVOCART 3D group, and from 45.05 (SD 15.83) to 70.33 (SD 19.65) in the CaReS group. Similar improvements were observed in the VAS and Brittberg scores. Conclusion. Two years postoperatively, there were no significant differences in terms of outcomes. Our data demonstrated that MACT, regardless of the implants used, resulted in good clinical improvement two years after transplantation for localized tibiofemoral defects. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(7):370–379

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To evaluate inducing osteoarthritis (OA) by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in mice with and without a stereomicroscope.

Aims. To explore the clinical relevance of joint space width (JSW) narrowing on standardized-flexion (SF) radiographs in the assessment of cartilage degeneration in specific subregions seen on MRI sequences in knee osteoarthritis (OA) with neutral, valgus, and varus alignments, and potential planning of partial knee arthroplasty. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 639 subjects, aged 45 to 79 years, in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study, who had symptomatic knees with Kellgren and Lawrence grade 2 to 4. Knees were categorized as neutral, valgus, and varus knees by measuring hip-knee-angles on hip-knee-ankle radiographs. Femorotibial JSW was measured on posteroanterior SF radiographs using a special software. The femorotibial compartment was divided into 16 subregions, and MR-tomographic measurements of cartilage volume, thickness, and subchondral bone area were documented. Linear regression with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and Kellgren and Lawrence grade was used. Results. We studied 345 neutral, 87 valgus, and 207 varus knees. Radiological JSW narrowing was significantly (p < 0.01) associated with cartilage volume and thickness in medial femorotibial compartment in neutral (r = 0.78, odds ratio (OR) 2.33) and varus knees (r = 0.86, OR 1.92), and in lateral tibial subregions in valgus knees (r = 0.87, OR 3.71). A significant negative correlation was found between JSW narrowing and area of subchondral bone in external lateral tibial subregion in valgus knees (r = −0.65, p < 0.01) and in external medial tibial subregion in varus knees (r = −0.77, p < 0.01). No statistically significant correlation was found in anterior and posterior subregions. Conclusion. SF radiographs can be potentially used for initial detection of cartilage degeneration as assessed by MRI in medial and lateral but not in anterior or posterior subregions. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(3):173–187

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Ageing-related incompetence becomes a major hurdle for the clinical translation of adult stem cells in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the effect of stepwise preconditioning on cellular behaviours in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from ageing patients, and to verify their therapeutic effect in an OA animal model.

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Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is a kind of chronic osteochondropathy, thought to be caused by environmental risk factors such as T-2 toxin. However, the exact aetiology of KBD remains unclear. In this study, we explored the functional relevance and biological mechanism of cartilage oligosaccharide matrix protein (COMP) in the articular cartilage damage of KBD.

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The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of alterations in messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cartilage affected by osteoarthritis (OA).

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The aim of this study was to investigate the structural integrity of torn and non-torn human acetabular labral tissue.