Subchondral bone area and porosity changes in an unstable model of osteoarthritis

摘要

Altered structural stiffness due to trabecular bone volume changes in the cancellous bone substrate of an articulation joint can alter cartilage stresses. Such effects might play a role in the cartilage degeneration process. In some "unstable" animal models due to partial menisectomy or ligament transection, mechanical factors are assumed to initiate degredation. It is unknown as to whether subchondral bone changes play any part in the degeneration of the cartilage in these models. Therefore, this project focuses on an osteoarthritis model in which the rabbit knee is subjected to transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACLT) concurrent to partial menisectomy (PM). Histomorphometric methods were then used to examine the hypothesized progression of bone porosity changes.