Wnt Signaling Related to Subchondral Bone Density and Cartilage Degradation in OA

Abstract

The role of subchondral bone in the progression of osteoarthritis has been controversial for nearly 50 years.(1,2) The observation that subchondral sclerosis was nearly always present in end-stage disease led to the conclusion that the increased stiffness caused by a thicker subchondral bone plate detracted from the bone's ability to attenuate the loads imposed on the joint cartilage, increasing cartilage stresses and initiating the process of joint deterioration. Because cartilage damage does not always progress to full thickness cartilage loss and OA, Radin and Rose(3) proposed that the initiation and the progression of cartilage deterioration were separate processes.