Extract
Articular cartilage is a hypocellular, avascular, alymphatic tissue with a
dense collagen and proteoglycan matrix that provides a low-friction and highly
durable wear-resistant
surface1 to both
shear and compressive stress.Normal maintenance of articular cartilage results from the balance between
anabolic and catabolic activity. Resident chondrocytes control the
extracellular matrix turnover—collagen and proteoglycans synthesis and
degradation—from the tidemark to the tangential zone of the cartilage.
However, little is known about the physiological processes regulating cellular
turnover and cartilage homeostasis, mainly because of the large number of
factors involved (mechanical load, cell density, matrix composition, growth
factors, cytokines, injury, and aging) and the complexity of their
interactions.