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Updated: Jun 12, 2025
Real-time Visualization and Analysis of Chondrocyte Injury Due to Mechanical Loading in Fully Intact Murine Cartilage Explants
Published on: January 7, 2019
Osteoarthritis as an evolutionary legacy: Biological ageing and chondrocyte hypertrophy
1Radboudumc, Rheumatology, Experimental Rheumatology, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Objective:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint disease habitually linked to ageing, characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage leading to pain and reduced mobility. Historically viewed as mainly a "wear and tear" condition, new insights suggest that OA may be part of an evolutionary, age-related biological process rather than mainly driven by mechanical damage.
Design:
This conceptual paper discusses the model of antagonistic pleiotropy that proposes that certain genes beneficial early in life may contribute to diseases in the context of OA.
Results:
Findings indicate that OA is connected to biological and not to chronological age supporting the idea that OA is not merely a wear and tear process. Chondrocyte hypertrophy, essential in endochondral bone formation at a (pre)reproductive age, is stimulated by a displaced and wrongly timed endochondral ossification quasi-program in age-related OA. Age-related chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation in articular cartilage is likely driven by loss of loading-induced TGF-β signaling.
Conclusion:
Comprehending OA within this evolutionary and biological frame provides a solid alternative to the theory of "wear and tear", offering insights into further understanding, prevention and disease management.
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