Osteoarthritis: Prevention Strategies, Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutic Approaches and Burden Caused

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 7356

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Faculty of Medicine, “G.E. Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 38 Gherghe Marinescu Street, 5400142 Targu Mures, Romania
Interests: sustainable development; orthopedics; environment protection; three-dimensional printing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Osteoarthritis (OA) is without a doubt the most prevalent joint disease worldwide. It represents major health problem due to an increasing older population with higher life expectancy, associated comorbidities such as obesity, and, more recently, limited access to medical care due to various situations such the COVID-19 pandemic, all contributing to the global burden of this disease. Recent therapeutic approaches aim to reverse and decelerate cartilage damage as joint arthroplasties have a high healthcare resource input and are the ultimate therapeutic choice. Novel non-operative strategies such as disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs), autologous bone marrow cells (BMACs), and adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) have been proposed to modify essential structures in the osteoarthritic joint. Tissue engineering represents another research direction in development that promises to restore the damaged articular cartilage with the use of biomaterials and genes. This Special Issue aims to highlight contributions focused on new advances for osteoarthritis prevention strategies and novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that can also reduce the overall burden of this disease. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Updates on novel non-operative treatment strategies for osteoarthritis;
  • 3D bioprinting techniques for osteochondral regeneration;
  • Disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) development;
  • Regenerative orthopedics and joint preservation;
  • Epidemiology and burden of osteoarthritis.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Flaviu Moldovan
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • hip osteoarthritis
  • knee osteoarthritis
  • regenerative medicine
  • tissue scaffolds

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

37 pages, 11381 KiB  
Review
Cartilage Integrity: A Review of Mechanical and Frictional Properties and Repair Approaches in Osteoarthritis
by Przemysław Krakowski, Adrian Rejniak, Jakub Sobczyk and Robert Karpiński
Healthcare 2024, 12(16), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12161648 - 19 Aug 2024
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 6734
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of disability around the globe, especially in aging populations. The main symptoms of OA are pain and loss of motion and function of the affected joint. Hyaline cartilage has limited ability for regeneration due [...] Read more.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of disability around the globe, especially in aging populations. The main symptoms of OA are pain and loss of motion and function of the affected joint. Hyaline cartilage has limited ability for regeneration due to its avascularity, lack of nerve endings, and very slow metabolism. Total joint replacement (TJR) has to date been used as the treatment of end-stage disease. Various joint-sparing alternatives, including conservative and surgical treatment, have been proposed in the literature; however, no treatment to date has been fully successful in restoring hyaline cartilage. The mechanical and frictional properties of the cartilage are of paramount importance in terms of cartilage resistance to continuous loading. OA causes numerous changes in the macro- and microstructure of cartilage, affecting its mechanical properties. Increased friction and reduced load-bearing capability of the cartilage accelerate further degradation of tissue by exerting increased loads on the healthy surrounding tissues. Cartilage repair techniques aim to restore function and reduce pain in the affected joint. Numerous studies have investigated the biological aspects of OA progression and cartilage repair techniques. However, the mechanical properties of cartilage repair techniques are of vital importance and must be addressed too. This review, therefore, addresses the mechanical and frictional properties of articular cartilage and its changes during OA, and it summarizes the mechanical outcomes of cartilage repair techniques. Full article
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