New trends in articular cartilage repair

Damage to the articular cartilage is an important, prevalent, and unsolved clinical issue for the orthopaedic surgeon. This review summarizes innovative basic research approaches that may improve the current understanding of cartilage repair processes and lead to novel therapeutic options. In this regard, new aspects of cartilage tissue engineering with a focus on the choice of the best-suited cell source are presented. The importance of non-destructive cartilage imaging is highlighted with the recent availability of adapted experimental tools such as Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging. Novel insights into cartilage pathophysiology based on the involvement of the infrapatellar fat pad in osteoarthritis are also described. Also, recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors are discussed as clinically adapted, efficient tools for potential gene-based medicines in a variety of articular cartilage disorders. Taken as a whole, such advances in basic research in diverse fields of articular cartilage repair may lead to the development of improved therapies in the clinics for an improved, effective treatment of cartilage lesions in a close future.