Depth-Wise Changes in Tibial and Femoral Human Knee Joint Cartilage at Different Severities of Osteoarthritis.

ABSTRACT: Articular cartilage undergoes structural and compositional changes during osteoarthritis (OA), one of the most common joint diseases. Earlier research shows that these changes are dependent on species and joint site, and they also vary across cartilage depth. In this study, we analyzed the depth-wise proteoglycan and collagen contents, as well as collagen fibril orientation angle and fibril alignment in human tibial and femoral cartilage at different severities of osteoarthritis. Samples were divided into normal cartilage, moderate OA cartilage, and severe OA cartilage based on OARSI grade. Consistent with earlier research, proteoglycan and collagen contents were generally lower in samples of greater OA severity, with the notable exception of a higher collagen content in femoral severe OA

SUBMITTER: Honkapaa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12701628 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature