The predominant proteoglycan present in cartilage is the large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 'aggrecan'. Following its secretion, aggrecan self-assembles into a supramolecular structure with as many as 50 monomers bound to a filament of hyaluronan. Aggrecan serves a direct, primary role providing the osmotic resistance necessary for cartilage to resist compressive loads. Other proteoglycans ...

Postoperative pseudogout after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is very rare, and its physical findings are very similar to infectious symptoms. In pseudogout, the mechanism underlying the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate crystals remains unclear. Here, we report the histologic findings in a pseudogout attack in the late postoperative period after TKA. She had acute onset of arthritis...

To identify genetic expression of mandibular condylar cartilage during natural growth and under mechanical strain as a result of mandibular advancement. One hundred and forty four 35 days old female Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed on 8 different experimental days. Total RNA was extracted for oligonucleotide microarray gene chips containing 15,923 transcripts. Sixteen genes representing the ...

Endochondral bone formation involves multiple steps, consisting of the condensation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, proliferation and hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes, and then mineralization. To date, various factors including transcription factors, soluble mediators, extracellular matrices (ECMs), and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions have been identified to regulate t...

Abstract The chondrogenesis of stem cells and cartilage tissue regeneration are more efficient in a three-dimensional (3D) environment than two-dimensional (2D) environment. Although extensive studies have examined the effects biochemical or physical cues alone, it is not fully understood how these biophysical 3D intertwined orchestrated with for regeneration. In this study, we used photocrossl...

The majority of the skeletal elements, except the flat bones of the skull, are formed by endochondral ossification, in which cartilage is replaced by bone. The formation of cartilage is a multi-step process termed chondrogenesis, during which undifferentiated mesenchymal cells condense and undergo differentiation towards chondrocytes. Notwithstanding recent advances, our knowledge of the detail...