Cartilage Degeneration

Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative condition affecting the knee joint globally, with an incidence of about 7% of the population. In Italy, it affects approximately 3.9 million people, with a direct treatment cost of around €2.5 billion. At the joint level, osteoarthritis manifests with pain and reduced functionality, worsening as the disease progresses and severely limiting knee movement. Compounding this, osteoarthritis can impact both elderly and younger individuals due to traumatic factors. Despite its significant impact, effective treatments for osteoarthritis that address its underlying causes are still lacking, focusing mainly on symptom management. Therefore, improving diagnostic and prognostic approaches is crucial to better understand its onset and progression. MRI is a primary diagnostic tool for assessing the knee joint's pathophysiological state. It uses tissue-specific sequences to investigate joint homeostasis in detail, although it primarily provides insights into morphology, structure, and tissue composition rather than functional changes within the joint. This limitation is noteworthy because joint homeostasis involves complex interactions among biomechanical, structural, and biological processes, which are directly influenced by osteoarthritis. Gait analysis provides valuable diagnostic information on joint function. By integrating sensor measurements and electronic systems with patient-specific musculoskeletal models derived from MRI morphometric data, it is possible to assess the forces and moments within the joint during specific movements. Given that osteoarthritis affects the entire joint, employing multidisciplinary approaches can enhance diagnostic precision and provide insights into the progressive impact of degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis on joint health.

The goal of this interventional post-market follow-up study is to evaluate radiological changes in the diaphyseal bone density (Gruen Zones 3 and 4) within 24 months postoperative in patients treated with CoreHip® primary cementless stem. The DEXA bone density analysis is used.

Currently the diagnosis of OA is based on radiographs and clinical findings, which is limited to detecting late-stage disease. There is a pressing, unmet clinical need for robust assessment of early changes in cartilage health. Towards this goal, extensive efforts are ongoing to develop quantitative MRI for cartilage matrix analysis. MR T1ρ and T2 relaxation times have shown to be promising imaging biomarkers for early cartilage degeneration and prediction of disease progression. However, many challenges remain to clinically applying these techniques, including lack of standardized acquisition and quantification methods, and long acquisition times. The study aims to develop novel, fast and reproducible MR T1ρ and T2 relaxation time imaging methods on MR systems from multiple vendors and establish a platform for standardization and cross validation of these measures as a tool for clinical trials using such techniques. Following method validation, patients at risk for osteoarthritis will be tested.

This Phase I/II randomized clinical trial investigates the safety, feasibility, and early regenerative potential of intra-articular administration of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived secretome combined with Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The study aims to assess whether this cell-free, biologically enriched therapeutic combination can reduce pain, improve joint function, and promote cartilage repair.

A randomized controlled clinical study was conducted to elucidate the relationship between the lower extremity biomechanics of patients undergoing early gait training after ACLR surgery.The relationship between the biochemical characteristics of cartilage and the biomechanical risk index were proposed to providing exercise guidance and training for ACLR people and it is suggested that it can prevent and reduce the risk of cartilage degeneration early after operation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of long-term simulated unloading in bed on articular cartilage quality based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and Knee joint function.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effect of bioceramic implants on the repair of human bone defects, and to explore the application of bioceramic materials in bone defects, bone implantation, and bone fusion. The surface microstructure of β-tricalcium phosphate bioceramic implants can be effectively controlled to guide the regeneration of bones, promote the restoration of bones, accelerate the speed of recovery, and improve bone quality, which is of great clinical and social significance.