Articular Cartilage, Degenerative Process, and Repair: Current Progress

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge about degenerative and repair process of articular cartilage, and relationship between osteoarthritis and physical activities. Data Pubmed, ScienceDirect data base are interrogated for the period 1994 - 2003. Key words are: cartilage, osteoarthritis, exercise, rehabilitation. The mechanical biology of the cartilage and the chondrocytes, the effects of physical activity on the cartilage, the main studies on clinical trials on rehabilitation are reviewed. Chondrocyte and cartilage structure and function change with mechanical stresses. Mechanical loads can modulate cartilage matrix turnover. Joint injury increases the risk of osteoarthritis, and sports that subjects joints to repetitive high levels of impact loading increase the risk of injury and degeneration. In human, intensive physical exercises seem associated with osteoarthritis development. None of the current procedures for repairing articular cartilage restores a normal articular zone, however, selected procedures can predictably benefit selected subjects. This article presents the biology and discusses the alteration of cartilage as well as the osteoarthritis process which is not yet well understood. Current medical approaches to the treatment of osteoarthritis also are presented. Rehabilitation programme could be beneficial in the therapeutic management of osteoarthritis.

Análise termogravimétrica da cartilagem articular de ratos exercitados após imobilização

“…O colágeno adquire menor hidratação, maior resistência à colagenase e maior afinidade pelo cálcio 29 . O processo de senescência promove uma alteração nos condrócitos, reduzindo a produção de proteoglicanas e promovendo alterações estruturais no tecido cartilaginoso e na matriz extracelular, aumentando a probabilidade de ocorrer lesão nesse tecido quando submetido a um estresse 30 . No presente estudo não houve diferença Tabela 2.…”

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER-stress) by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) reduces cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and N-glycosylation and induces a loss of COX-2 activity via a Src kinase-dependent pathway in rabbit articular chondrocytes

“…Differentiated chondrocytes are characterized by the ability to synthesize cartilage-specific extracellular matrix molecules including type II collagen and sulfated proteoglycans (Archer et al, 1990;Hauselmann et al, 1994;Reginato et al, 1994;Martel-Pelletier et al, 2008). The integrity of the matrix is crucial for the unique biosynthetic properties of cartilage and depends on conservation of the quality of the matrix constituents (Chandrasekhar and Phadke, 1988;Jennings et al, 2001;L'Hermette et al, 2006).…”

Estudo comparativo dos efeitos dos exercícios de força e de resistência muscular na osteoartrose de joelho

“…Baetzner foi o primeiro a relatar aumento na frequência de degeneração articular em atletas profissionais, porém foi a partir de 1946 que se realizam estudos com o objetivo de avaliar as alterações na cartilagem resultantes de exercícios (Lanier, 1946 (Deschner et al, 2003;Roos et al, 2004;Griffin et al, 2005;Roos et al, 2005;L'Hermette et al, 2006;Eckstein et al, 2006).…”

“…Os exercícios não aumentam a degeneração da cartilagem articular e, quando realizados de forma moderada, parecem ser benéficos para a cartilagem articular (Deschner et al, 2003;Roos et al, 2004;Roos et al, 2005;Griffin et al, 2005;L'Hermette et al, 2006;Eckstein et al, 2006). São muitos os estudos feitos para provar a eficácia e a importância de exercícios como parte do tratamento de pacientes com OA de joelhos.…”