[Current concepts on cartilage collagens and their association with disease]

The main functional role of the collagenous cartilage fibers is to form a stable network to counteract the hydrodynamic pressure generated by the highly hydrodynamic proteoglycan aggregates. The main collagen present in human cartilage is type II, but other proteins such as type IV, VI, IX, X, XI and XIV are also found albeit in small quantities. Several transgenic mice have been developed to study the structural abnormalities as they relate to human disease. Similarly, the study of these structural abnormalities has renewed the interest regarding their pathogenetic role in some hereditary and acquired diseases of cartilage in humans. It is hoped that gene therapy will help correct these abnormalities. We review here these topics.