Extract
Articular cartilage forms the bearing surface of synovial joints. It
provides a nearly friction-free load-bearing joint surface so that humans can
make smooth movements without pain. However, this tissue may be damaged by
trauma or inflammatory disease processes and may undergo progressive
degeneration resulting in
osteoarthritis1.
Once articular cartilage is damaged, the cartilage is not restored to its
normal state because of its limited capacity for
repair1,2.New therapies such as
mosaicplasty3 and
cultured chondrocyte
transplantation4 are
used clinically for the treatment of cartilage defects. Moreover, numerous
tissue-engineering initiatives have been undertaken to treat cartilage
defects. Each treatment has its own strong and weak points, and it remains
difficult to choose among them. Therefore, in vivo evaluation is essential to
determine the best treatment, but the accurate assessment of articular
cartilage in a clinical context has not yet been established.