Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the histological effect of reducing the loading to knee on cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and synovitis in early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) using a post-traumatic rat model. Ten male rats were randomly allocated into two experimental groups: OA induction by surgical destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM, OA group) and hindlimb suspension after OA induction by DMM (OAHS group). The articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and synovial membrane in the medial tibiofemoral joint were analyzed histologically and histomorphometrically at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. The histological scores and changes in articular cartilage and osteophyte formation were significantly milder and slower in the OAHS group than in the OA group. At 2 and 4 weeks, there were no significant differences in cartilage thickness and matrix staining intensity between both the groups, but chondrocytes density was significantly lower in the OA group. Synovitis was milder in OAHS group than in OA group at 2 weeks. Reducing knee joint loading inhibited histological OA changes in articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and synovial inflammation. This result supports the latest clinical guidelines for OA treatment. Further studies using biochemical and mechanical analyses are necessary to elucidate the mechanism underlying delayed OA progression caused by joint-load reduction.
Highlights
Mechanical stress, such as joint loading, is reported to influence osteoarthritis (OA) development [1, 2]
To assess the histological changes of OA, we quantitatively evaluated the articular cartilage of the tibia in the medial tibiofemoral joint by using the OA cartilage histopathology assessment system [28]
At 2 weeks after surgery, the thickness of operated limb was significantly thinner in OAHS group than in OA group; at 4 weeks, no significant difference in the operated limb was found between the OA and OAHS groups
Summary
Mechanical stress, such as joint loading, is reported to influence osteoarthritis (OA) development [1, 2]. Moderate stress, such as physiological loading and exercise, are indispensable for metabolism of the articular cartilage and to help inhibit OA development [3, 4]. Excessive mechanical stress has been reported to be the cause of the cartilage deterioration and OA onset [5, 6]. In the major international guidelines for OA treatment, such. Reduction of knee load suppresses OA progression
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