Review article

The biological principles in healing and regeneration of the articular cartilage

Sanja Zoričić Cvek ; Zavod za anatomiju, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci
Luka Đudarić ; Zavod za anatomiju, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Olga Cvijanović ; Zavod za anatomiju, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Veljko Šantić ; Klinička ortopedska bolnica Lovran, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Mihael Sučec ; Stručni studij Fizioterapija Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Dalen Legović ; Klinička ortopedska bolnica Lovran, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Branko Šestan ; Klinička ortopedska bolnica Lovran, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka

Abstract

Covering articular surfaces, articular cartilage ensures load bearing and low frictional movement in synovial joints. Articular cartilage has a specific macroscopic, microscopic and molecular structure characterized by an extremely small number of cells – chondrocytes (2 to 10% of the total volume of tissue), which produce and maintain the integrity of the large amount of extracellular matrix in the relatively hypoxic and hyponutritional conditions, due to the lack of blood vessels. In addition, mitotic activity and regeneration potential of chondrocytes are extremely low, which is why articular cartilage does not show its complete tissue regeneration after damage, but it is replaced by the biomechanically poorer bonding cartilage. Despite the development of numerous pharmacological and surgical procedures for treatment of the damaged articular cartilage, they have shown a number of limitations, and currently there is no ideal therapeutic procedure that would lead to a complete morphological and functional restoration of damaged articular cartilage. However, thanks to advances in cellular and molecular biology and tissue engineering, significant progress in understanding mechanisms of maintaining the integrity of tissues and organs have been made, which led to the creation of new concepts of treatment, based on the fundamental principles of relations between elements of regenerative trias. This article briefly describes the role of each element of the trias: productive cells, conductive carrier and signaling molecules as an inductive element of the articular cartilage regeneration.

Keywords

articular cartilage; cartilage repair; regenerative medicine; tissue engineering

Hrčak ID:

148290

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/148290

Publication date:

1.12.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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