Loss of spatial organization and destruction of the pericellular matrix in early osteoarthritis in vivo and in a novel in vitro methodology

摘要

ObjectivesCurrent repair procedures for articular cartilage cannot restore the tissue’s original form and function because neither changes in its architectural blueprint throughout life nor the respective biological understanding is fully available. We asked whether two unique elements of human cartilage architecture, the chondrocyte-surrounding pericellular matrix (PCM) and the superficial chondrocyte spatial organization (SCSO) beneath the articular surface are congenital, stable or dynamic throughout life. We hypothesized that inducing chondrocyte proliferation in vitro impairs organization and PCM and induces an advanced OA-like structural phenotype of human cartilage.