Molecular mechanisms of cartilage destruction: Mechanics, inflammatory mediators, and aging collide

Abstract

Destruction and loss of articular cartilage is a central feature in most forms of arthritis including the most common form, osteoarthritis (OA). The pathobiologic differences among the various types of arthritis relate, at least in part, to differences in mechanisms driving cartilage destruction. Often forms of arthritis are divided into “inflammatory” and “noninflammatory,” where “inflammatory” arthritis is meant to indicate cellular inflammation resulting from an influx of various activated leukocytes into the joint which mediate destruction, while “noninflammatory” arthritis indicates a lack of significant inflammatory cell invasion and is often described as “degenerative arthritis.” However, as we discover more about the basic mechanisms behind “noninflammatory” or “degenerative arthritis,” it is becoming clear that these are misnomers.