Cartilage Injuries: Basic Science Update

Abstract

The last several decades have brought about substantial development in our understanding of the biomolecular pathways associated with chondral disease and progression to arthritis. Within domains relevant to foot and ankle, genetic modification of stem cells, augmentation of bone marrow stimulation techniques, and improvement on existing scaffolds for delivery of orthobiologic agents hold promise in improving treatment of chondral injuries. This review summarizes novel developments in the understanding of the molecular pathways underlying chondral damage and some of the recent advancements within related therapeutics.

Keywords: ACI; Basic science; Bone marrow stimulation; Cartilage lesions; Chondral injury; Microfracture; OCD; Osteochondral lesions.