Abstract
Numerous clinical studies have reported cell-based treatments for cartilage regeneration in knee joint osteoarthritis using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the post-surgery rehabilitation and weight-bearing times remain unclear. Phenomenological computational models of cartilage regeneration have been only partially successful in predicting experimental results and this may be due to simplistic modeling assumptions and loading conditions of cellular activity. In the present study, we developed a knee joint model of cell and tissue differentiation based on a more mechanistic approach, which was applied to cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis. First, a phenomenological biphasic poroelastic finite element model was developed and validated according to a previous study. Second, this method was applied to a real knee joint model with a cartilage defect created to simulate the tissue regeneration process. The knee joint model was able to accurately predict several aspects of cartilage regeneration, such as the cell and tissue distributions in the cartilage defect. Additionally, our results indicated that gait cycle loading with flexion was helpful for cartilage regeneration compared to the use of simple weight-bearing loading.
Highlights
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is the most common result of arthritis that leads to pain, stiffness and decreased mobility, with this disease being one of the major causes of disability among non-institutionalized adults [1,2]
Therefor, the aim of the present study was to investigate cartilage regeneration in OA or cartilage defects based on the knee joint mechano-regulation of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation theory using a realistic model based on three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging
Cartilage layer of the repair tissuetissue as MSCs differentiate into fibroblasts and undergo death tissue bone bonein the high-strain bone environment
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is the most common result of arthritis that leads to pain, stiffness and decreased mobility, with this disease being one of the major causes of disability among non-institutionalized adults [1,2]. The articular cartilage possesses limited reparative abilities and the associated osteochondral defects present in young patients generally do not heal but usually progress to degeneration of the surrounding cartilage [5]. With the exception of joint replacement, the most common treatments for OA are not widely applied and can be associated with substantial adverse events, high costs or both [6]. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed to possess potential in the cell-based treatment of cartilage lesions [7]. These cells show great promise as a therapeutic agent in regenerative medicine due to their multilineage potential, immunosuppressive activities, limited immunogenicity and relative ease of growth in culture [7].
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