Pathogenesis of OA Flashcards
What is the purpose of articular cartilage? (3)
Smooth slippery surface, caps the ends of bones in synovial joints Reduces friction (low coefficient of friction) Helps absorb impacts - acts as a shock absorber to protect underlying bone
What type of cartilage is articular cartilage?
Hyaline cartilage
What is meant by the ‘tidemark’?
Deeper layer of hyaline cartilage merges with a calcified layer (tidemark) that attaches it to the sub-chondral bone.
What properties allow articular cartilage to absorb impacts? (2)
Elastic, resilient
What do the properties of articular cartilage depend on?
Composition of extracellular matrix, which depends on maintenance and synthesis by chondrocytes.
What are the layers of articular cartilage? (5)
Tangential/superficial layer - 10-20% Transitional/intermediate layer - 40-60% Radial/deep layer - 30% (TIDEMARK) Calcified cartilage Bone (subchondral, then cancellous)
What is the shape of the chondrocytes in the…
superficial zone?
transitional zone?
deep zone?
Flattish, small and in greater density
Rounder, larger and sparser
More rounded, stacked up as they have proliferated
What do chondrocytes do? (2)
Regulate both synthetic and catabolic processes
Establish a specialised microenvironment (they are responsible for ECM around them)
What % of the total volume of cartilage is made up of chondrocytes?
Less than 5%
Why do deep chondrocytes have prominent endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus?
Responsible for protein synthesis and sulphation of mucopolysaccharrides that form proteoglycan side chains.
Each chondrocyte sits in a…?
Lacuna (space)
Why do chondrocytes have a low number of mitochondria?
Low oxygen consumption
Cell division of chondrocytes is very low. When does it occur?
In response to injury or disease
What cells make the ECM of cartilage?
Chondrocytes
What are the three components of this ECM?
Water (80%)
Collagen
Proteoglycans
What type of collagen is in cartilage ECM?
Mainly type II (90-95%)
What is the role of collagen in cartialge ECM?
How is it arranged?
3D network of fibrils, give overall framework and shape of cartilage. Makes pockets filled with proteoglycan complexes. Collagen fibres - right up edges of lacunae..
What is the role of proteoglycans in cartilage ECM?
Draw water into cartilage to regulate compressibility
Describe the blood supply, nerve supply and lymphatic drainage of cartilage ECM.
Lacks blood supply and lymphatic vessels
No nerve supply
If the ECM has no blood supply or lymphatics, what does survival and synthetic activity depend on?
Diffusion of nutrients (e.g. oxygen and glucose) and metabolites through matrix (from synovial fluid). Fine balance of anabolism and catabolism.
How is collagen oriented in the different layers of cartilage and why?
Superficial layer - parallel with surface. Highest tensile properties, allows gliding.
Intermediate layer - criss-crossed oblique. Allows compression.
Deep layer - perpendicular to surface, follow stacks of chondrocytes.
It is mainly type II collagen in articular cartilage, but what other types are there? (3)
Types IX, X and XI