Progress towards a molecular basis for joint surface repair.

摘要

Joint surface injuries occur frequently and are in some cases associated with pain and reduced joint mobility, loss of joint homeostasis and progression to osteoarthritis. In spite of recent advances in the surgical treatment of such lesions, important challenges in the care for these patients remain and the treatment algorithm is still under debate. Surgical approaches, in particular autologous cell transplantation, are costly and the outcome depends on a number of variables such as the joint status or microenvi-ronment and the cell product used. Targeted stimulation of endogenous repair mechanisms therefore remains a specific goal. Achieving this will be critically dependent on our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of joint formation, articular cartilage injury and repair.