Intermittent Dynamic Compression Confers Anabolic Effects in Articular Cartilage

(1) Background: Mechanical loading is an essential part of the function and maintenance joint. Despite importance intermittent mechanical loading, this factor rarely considered in preclinical models cartilage, limiting their translatability. The aim study was to investigate effects dynamic compression on extracellular matrix during long-term culture bovine cartilage explants. (2) Methods: Bovine articular explants were cultured for 21 days subjected 20 min 1 Hz cyclic compressive five consecutive each week. Cartilage remodeling investigated presence IGF-1 or TGF-β1, as well a TGF-β receptor (ALK5) kinase inhibitor assessed with biomarkers type II collagen formation (PRO-C2) fibronectin degradation (FBN-C). (3) Results: Compression increased release PRO-C2 FBN-C conditioned media and, furthermore, synergistically release. Inhibition ALK5 blocked dynamically compressed (4) Conclusions: Dynamic increases both degradation, interacts compression, increasing overall impact formation. These data show that important consider translational models.