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Scientific Reports Jun 2024This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between joint structures of the first tarsometatarsal and articular facet degeneration. A total of 100 feet from 50...
This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between joint structures of the first tarsometatarsal and articular facet degeneration. A total of 100 feet from 50 cadavers were examined. The articular facets of the first metatarsal and medial cuneiform were categorized into four types based on the superior and inferior facets' separation, and the formation of the inferior lateral facet on the lateral plantar prominence: Type I, a single facet with no separation or inferior lateral facet; Type II-a, two facets with separation but no inferior lateral facet; Type II-b, two facets, no separation, but with an inferior lateral facet; Type III, three facets with separation and an inferior lateral facet. When both bone types matched, they were defined as Type I, Type II-a, Type II-b, and Type III joints, respectively; unmatched types were classified as Unpair joints. The severity of articular cartilage degeneration on both bones was assessed using a 5-point scale. The degeneration grade was compared among joint types. Type III joints exhibited significantly milder articular cartilage degeneration in medial cuneiform compared to Type II-a, II-b, Unpair joints. The formation of inferior lateral facet and separation of the superior and inferior facets might be crucial for the joint's stability.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Aged; Middle Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cadaver; Cartilage, Articular; Metatarsal Bones; Tarsal Joints; Foot Joints
PubMed: 38866886
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64064-x -
BioMed Research International 2023Biomechanics researchers often experimentally measure static or fluctuating dynamic contact forces, areas, and stresses at the interface of natural and artificial... (Review)
Review
Biomechanics researchers often experimentally measure static or fluctuating dynamic contact forces, areas, and stresses at the interface of natural and artificial joints, including the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. This information helps explain joint contact mechanics, as well as mechanisms that may contribute to disease, damage, and degradation. Currently, the most common in vitro experimental technique involves a thin pressure-sensitive film inserted into the joint space; but, the film's finite thickness disturbs the joint's ordinary articulation. Similarly, the most common in vivo experimental technique uses video recording of 3D limb motion combined with dynamic analysis of a 3D link-segment model to calculate joint contact force, but this does not provide joint contact area or stress distribution. Moreover, many researchers may be unaware of older or newer alternative techniques that may be more suitable for their particular research application. Thus, this article surveys over 50 years of English-language scientific literature in order to (a) describe the basic working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each technique, (b) examine the trends among the studies and methods, and (c) make recommendations for future directions. This article will hopefully inform biomechanics investigators about various in vitro and in vivo experimental methods for studying the contact mechanics of joints.
Topics: Motion; Research Design; Joints; Cartilage, Articular; Biomechanical Phenomena; Stress, Mechanical
PubMed: 37780487
DOI: 10.1155/2023/4914082 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Osteoarthritis (OA) is an intricate pathological condition that primarily affects the entire synovial joint, especially the hip, hand, and knee joints. This results in... (Review)
Review
Osteoarthritis (OA) is an intricate pathological condition that primarily affects the entire synovial joint, especially the hip, hand, and knee joints. This results in inflammation in the synovium and osteochondral injuries, ultimately causing functional limitations and joint dysfunction. The key mechanism responsible for maintaining articular cartilage function is chondrocyte metabolism, which involves energy generation through glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and other metabolic pathways. Some studies have shown that chondrocytes in OA exhibit increased glycolytic activity, leading to elevated lactate production and decreased cartilage matrix synthesis. In OA cartilage, chondrocytes display alterations in mitochondrial activity, such as decreased ATP generation and increased oxidative stress, which can contribute to cartilage deterioration. Chondrocyte metabolism also involves anabolic processes for extracellular matrix substrate production and energy generation. During OA, chondrocytes undergo considerable metabolic changes in different aspects, leading to articular cartilage homeostasis deterioration. Numerous studies have been carried out to provide tangible therapies for OA by using various models and targeting chondrocyte metabolism, although there are still certain limitations. With growing evidence indicating the essential role of chondrocyte metabolism in disease etiology, this literature review explores the metabolic characteristics and changes of chondrocytes in the presence of OA, both and . To provide insight into the complex metabolic reprogramming crucial in chondrocytes during OA progression, we investigate the dynamic interaction between metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial function. In addition, this review highlights prospective future research directions for novel approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Adopting a multifaceted strategy, our review aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic intricacies within chondrocytes in OA, with the ultimate goal of identifying therapeutic targets capable of modulating chondrocyte metabolism for the treatment of OA.
Topics: Chondrocytes; Humans; Osteoarthritis; Animals; Cartilage, Articular; Glycolysis
PubMed: 38854686
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1393550 -
Skeletal Radiology Nov 2023Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely regarded as the primary modality for the morphological assessment of cartilage and all other joint tissues involved in... (Review)
Review
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely regarded as the primary modality for the morphological assessment of cartilage and all other joint tissues involved in osteoarthritis. 2D fast spin echo fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted (FSE FS IW) sequences with a TE between 30 and 40ms have stood the test of time and are considered the cornerstone of MRI protocols for clinical practice and trials. These sequences offer a good balance between sensitivity and specificity and provide appropriate contrast and signal within the cartilage as well as between cartilage, articular fluid, and subchondral bone. Additionally, FS IW sequences enable the evaluation of menisci, ligaments, synovitis/effusion, and bone marrow edema-like signal changes. This review article provides a rationale for the use of FSE FS IW sequences in the morphological assessment of cartilage and osteoarthritis, along with a brief overview of other clinically available sequences for this indication. Additionally, the article highlights ongoing research efforts aimed at improving FSE FS IW sequences through 3D acquisitions with enhanced resolution, shortened examination times, and exploring the potential benefits of different magnetic field strengths. While most of the literature on cartilage imaging focuses on the knee, the concepts presented here are applicable to all joints. KEY POINTS: 1. MRI is currently considered the modality of reference for a "whole-joint" morphological assessment of osteoarthritis. 2. Fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted sequences remain the keystone of MRI protocols for the assessment of cartilage morphology, as well as other structures involved in osteoarthritis. 3. Trends for further development in the field of cartilage and joint imaging include 3D FSE imaging, faster acquisition including AI-based acceleration, and synthetic imaging providing multi-contrast sequences.
Topics: Humans; Cartilage, Articular; Knee Joint; Knee; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Osteoarthritis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37154871
DOI: 10.1007/s00256-023-04343-2 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have become the mainstay in human motion evaluation outside of the laboratory; however, quantification of 3-dimensional upper limb... (Review)
Review
Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have become the mainstay in human motion evaluation outside of the laboratory; however, quantification of 3-dimensional upper limb motion using IMUs remains challenging. The objective of this systematic review is twofold. Firstly, to evaluate computational methods used to convert IMU data to joint angles in the upper limb, including for the scapulothoracic, humerothoracic, glenohumeral, and elbow joints; and secondly, to quantify the accuracy of these approaches when compared to optoelectronic motion analysis. Fifty-two studies were included. Maximum joint motion measurement accuracy from IMUs was achieved using Euler angle decomposition and Kalman-based filters. This resulted in differences between IMU and optoelectronic motion analysis of 4° across all degrees of freedom of humerothoracic movement. Higher accuracy has been achieved at the elbow joint with functional joint axis calibration tasks and the use of kinematic constraints on gyroscope data, resulting in RMS errors between IMU and optoelectronic motion for flexion-extension as low as 2°. For the glenohumeral joint, 3D joint motion has been described with RMS errors of 6° and higher. In contrast, scapulothoracic joint motion tracking yielded RMS errors in excess of 10° in the protraction-retraction and anterior-posterior tilt direction. The findings of this study demonstrate high-quality 3D humerothoracic and elbow joint motion measurement capability using IMUs and underscore the challenges of skin motion artifacts in scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joint motion analysis. Future studies ought to implement functional joint axis calibrations, and IMU-based scapula locators to address skin motion artifacts at the scapula, and explore the use of artificial neural networks and data-driven approaches to directly convert IMU data to joint angles.
Topics: Humans; Range of Motion, Articular; Shoulder Joint; Upper Extremity; Motion; Movement; Biomechanical Phenomena
PubMed: 37514829
DOI: 10.3390/s23146535 -
Cartilage Sep 2023Assessment of human joint cartilage is a crucial tool to detect and diagnose pathological conditions. This exploratory study developed a workflow for 3D modeling of...
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of human joint cartilage is a crucial tool to detect and diagnose pathological conditions. This exploratory study developed a workflow for 3D modeling of cartilage and bone based on multimodal imaging. New evaluation metrics were created and, a unique set of data was gathered from healthy controls and patients with clinically evaluated degeneration or trauma.
DESIGN
We present a novel methodology to evaluate knee bone and cartilage based on features extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) data. We developed patient specific 3D models of the tibial, femoral, and patellar bones and cartilages. Forty-seven subjects with a history of degenerative disease, traumatic events, or no symptoms or trauma (control group) were recruited in this study. Ninety-six different measurements were extracted from each knee, 78 2D and 18 3D measurements. We compare the sensitivity of different metrics to classify the cartilage condition and evaluate degeneration.
RESULTS
Selected features extracted show significant difference between the 3 groups. We created a cumulative index of bone properties that demonstrated the importance of bone condition to assess cartilage quality, obtaining the greatest sensitivity on femur within medial and femoropatellar compartments. We were able to classify degeneration with a maximum recall value of 95.9 where feature importance analysis showed a significant contribution of the 3D parameters.
CONCLUSION
The present work demonstrates the potential for improving sensitivity in cartilage assessment. Indeed, current trends in cartilage research point toward improving treatments and therefore our contribution is a first step toward sensitive and personalized evaluation of cartilage condition.
Topics: Humans; Knee Joint; Knee; Cartilage Diseases; Cartilage, Articular; Patella
PubMed: 36541701
DOI: 10.1177/19476035221144746 -
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Jul 2023Defects in autophagy contribute to joint aging and Osteoarthritis (OA). Identifying specific autophagy types could be useful for developing novel treatments for OA.
OBJECTIVE
Defects in autophagy contribute to joint aging and Osteoarthritis (OA). Identifying specific autophagy types could be useful for developing novel treatments for OA.
DESIGN
An autophagy-related gene array was performed in blood from non-OA and knee OA subjects from the Prospective Cohort of A Coruña (PROCOAC). The differential expression of candidate genes was confirmed in blood and knee cartilage and a regression analysis was performed adjusting for age and BMI. HSP90A, a chaperone mediated autophagy (CMA) marker was validated in human knee joint tissues, as well as, in mice with aging-related and surgically-induced OA. The consequences of HSP90AA1 deficiency were evaluated on OA pathogenesis. Finally, the contribution of CMA to homeostasis was studied by assessing the capacity to restore proteostasis upon ATG5-mediated macroautophagy deficiency and genetic HSP90AA1 overexpression.
RESULTS
16 autophagy-related genes were significantly down-regulated in blood from knee OA subjects. Validation studies showed that HSP90AA1 was down-regulated in blood and human OA cartilage and correlated with risk incidence of OA. Moreover, HSP90A was reduced in human OA joints tissues and with aging and OA in mice. HSP90AA1 knockdown was linked to defective macroautophagy, inflammation, oxidative stress, senescence and apoptosis. However, macroautophagy deficiency increased CMA, highlighting the CMA-macroautophagy crosstalk. Remarkably, CMA activation was sufficient to protect chondrocytes from damage.
CONCLUSIONS
We show that HSP90A is a key chaperone for chondrocyte homeostasis, while defective CMA contributes to joint damage. We propose that CMA deficiency is a relevant disease mechanism and could represent a therapeutic target for OA.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy; Prospective Studies; Cartilage, Articular; Aging; Knee Joint; Autophagy; Chondrocytes
PubMed: 36893980
DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.02.076 -
Cells, Tissues, Organs 2024The impact of mild synovitis on the chondrogenic environment in the joint pertaining to cartilage repair is often neglected. In this study, 21 synovial samples were...
The impact of mild synovitis on the chondrogenic environment in the joint pertaining to cartilage repair is often neglected. In this study, 21 synovial samples were collected from foot surgeries for histology and isolation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). Of the 21 samples, 13 were normal and eight were mild synovitis, according to their synovitis scores. In mild synovitis, CD3+ lymphocytes were increased in the sublining layer. When chondrocytes were cultured and treated with the conditioned medium produced by FLSs, their glycosaminoglycan production was negatively correlated with the synovitis scores of the synovium, from which FLSs were isolated. In conclusion, mild synovitis in common joint conditions compromises the process of chondrogenesis, via inhibiting chondrocyte matrix production by FLSs. The results suggest that the concomitant synovitis, even being mild, could significantly alter the joint environment for chondrogenesis and impair the outcome of cartilage repair.
Topics: Humans; Synovitis; Chondrogenesis; Chondrocytes; Middle Aged; Male; Female; Synoviocytes; Adult; Aged; Glycosaminoglycans; Cells, Cultured; Joints; Culture Media, Conditioned; Synovial Membrane
PubMed: 37524055
DOI: 10.1159/000532008 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Aug 2023The onset of OA is affected by a variety of factors, which eventually lead to the loss of cartilage in the joints, the formation of osteophytes, the loss of normal knee... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The onset of OA is affected by a variety of factors, which eventually lead to the loss of cartilage in the joints, the formation of osteophytes, the loss of normal knee mobility, and pain and discomfort, which seriously affects the quality of life. HUC-MSCs can promote cartilage production and have been widely used in research in the past decade. This article systematically summarizes that it is well used in basic research and clinical studies to promote inflammatory chondrogenesis in the treatment of OA. Provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This study collected CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and articles related to the treatment of OA with HUC-MSCs since their publication, excluding non-basic and clinical studies such as reviews and meta-analysis. A total of 31 basic experimental studies and 12 clinical studies were included. Systematically analyze the effects of HUC-MSCs on inhibiting inflammatory factors, promoting chondrocyte production, and current clinical treatment.
RESULTS
HUC-MSCs can reduce inflammatory factors such as MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, IL-1β, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, induced conversion from M1 to M2 in OA to protect cartilage damage and reduce OA inflammation. Synthesize ColII, SOX9, and aggrecan at the same time to promote cartilage synthesis.
CONCLUSION
HUC-MSCs not only have typical stem cell biological characteristics, but also have rich sources and convenient material extraction. Compared with stem cells from other sources, HUC-MSCs have stronger proliferation, differentiation, and immune regulation abilities. Furthermore, there are no ethical issues associated with their use.
SAFETY
Primarily attributed to pain, the majority of individuals experience recovery within 24 h following injection. HUC-MSCs possess the ability to alleviate pain, enhance knee joint function, and potentially postpone the need for surgical intervention in both non-surgical and other cases, making them highly deserving of clinical promotion and application.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Chondrogenesis; Quality of Life; Knee Joint; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Umbilical Cord
PubMed: 37644595
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-023-04131-7 -
Cartilage Dec 2023The objective of this study was to determine the level of disease severity in a pilot cohort of temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and compare them to the pathology...
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the level of disease severity in a pilot cohort of temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and compare them to the pathology findings previously characterized in cadaveric knee joints.
DESIGN
Thirty-one intact TMJs from 17 cadaveric donors were harvested and arthritic lesioning seen in the knee joint was investigated on the condyle and the fossa of the TMJ. Prevalence of gross alterations was equated and disease severity was determined for sex- and age-based donor pools using a validated, osteoarthritis (OA) disease severity scale (DSS). Knee joint DSS scores were also compared to the TMJ condyle and fossa DSS scores and a case study was carried out on a male donor that demonstrated severe OA in the both joints.
RESULTS
The mandibular fossa demonstrated an increase in disease severity compared to the mandibular condyle in a mixed sex donor pool ( = 0.035). It was discovered that the younger females demonstrated statistically more pathological condyles compared to the older half of the female subgroup ( 0.02). TMJ fossa and knee joints demonstrated comparable OA severity and similar signs of cartilage disease in a single donor highlighting the systemic nature of OA.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that gross signs of OA in the TMJs of cadavers are comparable to pathology found in the knee. The mandibular fossa appears to be the site of more profound disease, implying translational movements may be more likely to induce biomechanically abnormal movement, loading, and OA.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders; Temporomandibular Joint; Osteoarthritis; Knee Joint; Patient Acuity; Cadaver
PubMed: 37551826
DOI: 10.1177/19476035231189839