Various markers of the metabolism of articular cartilage have been identified in synovial fluid, blood, and urine of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The joint fluid level of a cartilage-derived molecule, or its fragment, can be used as a marker of the synthesis or catabolism of that molecule in the articular surfaces within that joint. In blood and urine, on the other hand, the level of a marke

Repair of full-thickness cartilage defects of the rabbit medial femoral condyle with artificial plugs and periosteal grafts was followed for 1 year. The morphological characteristics of the neocartilage after repair and the concentration of proteoglycan fragments in the joint fluid (CPFF) were evaluated. The CPFF showed only a weak correlation to the histological score of the neocartilage. Normal

We reviewed reports that describe development of osteoarthrosis of the knee after anterior cruciate ligament or meniscus injury. the occurrence of posttraumatic osteoarthrosis varied considerably from one report to another. the literature does not lend support to the efficacy of cruciate ligament repair or reconstruction in retarding the progression of osteoarthrosis after knee injury. We encourag

Stromelysin-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), and proteoglycan fragments were quantified in knee synovial fluid samples in a cross-sectional study of patients who had injury to the anterior cruciate ligament or the meniscus. The average concentrations of stromelysin-1 and TIMP-1 increased 25-fold and 10-fold within the first day after the trauma, respectively, and the concentra

This is the first study which quantifies aggrecan fragments, stromelysin-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in SF samples prospectively obtained from the same patient at different time intervals after a cruciate ligament injury of the knee. Aggrecan fragment concentrations were determined by dye precipitation with Alcian Blue. Stromelysin-1 and TIMP-1 were analysed by immunoas

Objective-To examine if unilateral knee injury affects the synovial fluid concentrations of aggrecan fragments, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) fragments, stromelysin-l, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-l (TIMP-1) in the contralateral uninjured knee. Methods-Synovial fluids from the injured and uninjured knees were obtained at different times in a group of patients after unila

The prevalence of radiographic signs of gonarthrosis and its relation to knee injuries were studied in 286 former soccer players-215 nonelite and 71 elite players-and were compared with 572 age-matched controls with a mean age of 55 years. The prevalence of gonarthrosis among the nonelite players was 4.2%, among the elite players 15.5%, and among the controls 1.6%. Seven of the soccer players had

Objective. To compare the effect of intraarticular injections of hyaluronan and placebo (vehicle, saline) in patients with knee pain on exertion and with joint cartilage abnormalities. Methods. Fifty-two patients with arthroscopically verified deep cartilage fissures and villus-like flakes in the symptomatic knee were randomly assigned to receive intraarticular injections of 2.5 ml of either hyalu

Intrasynovial and extrasynovial flexor tendon grafts recently have been shown to have dissimilar patterns of cellular survival and host integration within the digital sheath. In an effort to determine if fundamental differences exist between these two types of tendons, we investigated the biochemical composition and cellular activity of intrasynovial and extrasynovial tendon segments of 12 adult m

Objective - The release of fragments of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and aggrecan into knee joint fluid and serum after joint injury and in post-traumatic and primary osteoarthritis was monitored in a cross-sectional study. Methods - Samples of joint fluid and serum were obtained from healthy volunteers and from patients with arthroscopically verified injury to anterior cruciate liga

The degree of cartilage changes by arthroscopic and radiologic examination was evaluated in a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 1012 patients with knee complaints at different times after knee injury. Patients were classified by age, sex, trauma date and type of injury. The condition of the cartilage was graded on a 1-10 scale based on findings at arthroscopy and on weight-bearing radiograph

Aggrecan turnover is critically important to maintain extracellular matrix homeostasis in articular cartilage. Cartilage aggrecan metabolism has been studied in chondrocyte cell cultures, cartilage explant cultures, and in whole animal models. In many of these studies, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proposed to degrade cartilage aggrecan. MMP expression appears elevated in joint tissues from

The concentrations of cartilage proteoglycan (aggrecan), stromelysin-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and procollagen II C-propeptide in knee joint fluid and the levels of aggrecan, hyaluronan and keratan sulfate in serum were measured before and after exercise in 33 healthy athletes. The samples before exercise were obtained after 24 h rest from running or soccer and the sampl