Journal of Orthopaedic Research®最新文献

{"title":"Localized Delivery of a Small Molecule Hedgehog Agonist via Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffolds Enhances Tendon-to-Bone Integration","authors":"Jonathan Marcelin,&nbsp;Rashad Madi,&nbsp;Timur B. Kamalitdinov,&nbsp;Xi Jiang,&nbsp;Dong Hwa Kim,&nbsp;Robert L. Mauck,&nbsp;Andrew F. Kuntz,&nbsp;Nathaniel A. Dyment","doi":"10.1002/jor.70183","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70183","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tendon and ligament injuries often require surgery, with successful recovery, whether direct repair of a torn tendon to bone or reconstruction of ligaments, requiring effective tendon-to-bone integration. Unfortunately, re-tear rates can be high, demonstrating the need for improved treatment strategies. The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is critical to fibrocartilage formation at tendon and ligament insertion sites during development, and recent studies indicate that it promotes tendon-to-bone integration post-surgery. However, systemic delivery of Hh signaling agonists can result in off-target effects. In this study, we developed a scaffold system for local delivery of a Hh signaling agonist (SAG) to promote tendon-to-bone integration. We fabricated aligned electrospun scaffolds loaded with four concentrations of SAG and quantified the fiber alignment and diameter, which were not different between the different concentrations. We then measured the in vitro release profile and found a dose-dependent release of SAG from the scaffolds, as measured by expression of the downstream Hh target gene, Gli1, in bone marrow stromal cell cultures that received conditioned media. Finally, we combined the scaffolds with tendon grafts and inserted them into bone tunnels created in the proximal tibiae of mice. SAG released from the scaffolds did not affect cell infiltration in the graft or scaffold, but increased expression of Gli1 by cells in the bone tunnels while also increasing mineralized fibrocartilage formation in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicate that scaffold-mediated local delivery of SAG can effectively enhance tendon-to-bone integration, offering a promising strategy for treating tendon and ligament injuries.</p>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13036285/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147581034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of Rotator Cuff Regeneration via Injectable Spheroidal Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Cluster-Collagen Hydrogel Complex","authors":"Jae Hee Choi,&nbsp;In Kyong Shim,&nbsp;Hanse Goh,&nbsp;Se-Ra Hwang,&nbsp;In-Ho Jeon,&nbsp;Kyoung Hwan Koh","doi":"10.1002/jor.70186","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70186","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rotator cuff repair often results in scar tissue rather than tendon regeneration, leading to inferior strength and high re-tear risk. This study evaluated the regenerative efficacy of an injectable formulation combining adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) clusters with collagen in an animal model.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>ADSCs from patients were formed into spheroids and mixed with collagen. Rats with surgically induced cuff injury received injections of (1) no treatment, (2) spheroid-only, (3) collagen-only, or (4) combined spheroid-collagen. Tendon healing was assessed by histology (H&amp;E, Masson's trichrome, Safranin O, picrosirius red) and biomechanical testing. Safety was verified through biodistribution, toxicity, and tumourigenicity studies in immunosuppressed mice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Gene expression analysis of the ADSCs and the spheroid-collagen complex confirmed an upregulation of regeneration-related transcription factors, indicating a potential for enhanced rotator cuff regeneration. Histological analysis showed that the combined group achieved significantly higher histological scores (11.33 ± 0.61 vs. 8.33 ± 1.33, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and tendon strength (16.57 ± 4.58 vs. 7.94 ± 1.44, <i>p</i> = 0.005) compared with controls. In terms of safety, No injected cells were found in other organs, and no toxicity or tumourigenesis was observed. Importantly, administered cells persisted at the injection site in the combined group for up to 16 weeks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The combined injectable formulation of stem cells and collagen effectively enhanced the regeneration of injured rotator cuff tissue in an animal model. The demonstrated safety and persistence of the formulation suggest its potential applicability as a cell-based therapeutic agent for clinical use.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13033614/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147574531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathologic Changes in Subchondral Bone Microarchitecture Differ Between ACLT, NIKI, and MMT Models of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis","authors":"Markia T. Bowe,&nbsp;Tolulope O. Ajayi,&nbsp;Annika Oberdorfer,&nbsp;Blanka Sharma,&nbsp;Joshua F. Yarrow,&nbsp;Kyle D. Allen","doi":"10.1002/jor.70176","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70176","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Subchondral bone remodeling associated with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) is an error-driven response affected by abnormal joint loading. Since different injury models of pre-clinical OA may induce unique shifts in joint loading, comparing bone microstructural changes across different rat OA models may clarify the relationship between subchondral bone remodeling and the mechanisms of joint trauma. In this study, we compared bone microstructure measures across meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament models of late-stage rat OA. OA was induced in male Lewis rats using via medial meniscus transection (MMT), anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), and non-invasive knee injury (NIKI, ACL rupture). At endpoint, microcomputed tomography was used to quantify trabecular and cortical bone microstructure. NIKI animals displayed unique changes in the subchondral bone plate and trabecular bone, where cortical (Ct.Th) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) decreased. In contrast, MMT and ACLT animals displayed varying levels of subchondral bone sclerosis with an increase in Ct.Th and Tb.Th compared to controls. Combined with the decreased bone volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), and increased trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), bone changes in NIKI animals indicated varying amounts of bone loss. End-stage bone changes differed across MMT, NIKI, and ACLT rat models of OA. Together, these data indicated that the mechanism of injury is an important consideration when evaluating OA pathophysiology at later time points of disease.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147530220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Novel Measurement of Altered Achilles Subtendon Load Sharing 6–12 Months Following Rupture","authors":"Kathryn S. Strand,&nbsp;Todd J. Hullfish,&nbsp;Maggie M. Wagner,&nbsp;Devyn Russo,&nbsp;Max Zawel,&nbsp;Douglas E. Schaubel,&nbsp;Casey Jo Humbyrd,&nbsp;Josh R. Baxter","doi":"10.1002/jor.70182","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70182","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Achilles tendon ruptures cause muscle–tendon structural and functional deficits that persist years after the initial injury. A healthy Achilles tendon contains three semi-independent subtendons that slide relative to each other during muscle contractions in healthy adults. However, such sliding decreases postinjury as load sharing—likely caused by intratendinous adhesions—increases between adjacent subtendons. This study quantifies changes in subtendon load sharing 6–12 months following Achilles tendon rupture when patients are cleared by their surgeon to fully return to physical activities. We combined transverse plane ultrasound imaging with neuromuscular electrical stimulation of individual triceps surae muscles and applied a Kanade–Lucas–Tomasi point tracking algorithm to characterize subtendon behavior. We developed a surrogate measure of subtendon load sharing by quantifying differences in point displacement trajectory angles between select regions within the tendon cross section. In patients recovering from rupture injuries (<i>n</i> = 19), subtendon load sharing significantly increased in the injured tendon compared to the contralateral uninjured side during lateral gastrocnemius (<i>p</i> = 0.0094), medial gastrocnemius (<i>p</i> = 0.021), and soleus stimulations (<i>p</i> = 0.048). These differences were not present between right and left legs in the uninjured cohort (<i>n</i> = 17). Linear regression analysis also revealed that the presence of tendon injury was significantly associated with subtendon load sharing, with injured tendons showing up to a 44% decrease in subtendon independence compared to the contralateral uninjured tendon during gastrocnemius stimulations.</p><p><b>Statement of Clinical Significance:</b> These results propose a novel biomarker of tendon health and suggest muscle-dependent changes in subtendon function following Achilles tendon rupture.</p>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13022063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147521238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The 2025 International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Research Priorities and Future Directions","authors":"Ebru Oral,&nbsp;Emanuele Chisari,&nbsp;Hyonmin Choe,&nbsp;Kyle H. Cichos,&nbsp;Tom Coenye,&nbsp;Débora C. Coraça-Huber,&nbsp;Lorenzo Drago,&nbsp;John L. Hamilton,&nbsp;Louise Kruse Jensen,&nbsp;Jessica Amber Jennings,&nbsp;Fintan Moriarty,&nbsp;Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan,&nbsp;Kohei Nishitani,&nbsp;Nicholas Norton,&nbsp;Jay Parvizi,&nbsp;Lauren Priddy,&nbsp;Kordo Saeed,&nbsp;Edward M. Schwarz,&nbsp;Claudia Siverino,&nbsp;Amita Sekar,&nbsp;Margarita Trobos,&nbsp;Britt Wildemann","doi":"10.1002/jor.70179","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70179","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Musculoskeletal infection (MSKI) is a leading cause of implant failure following orthopedic surgery for trauma or elective procedures and it is associated with catastrophic outcomes for patients and healthcare systems worldwide. International Consensus Meetings (ICM) aim to define state-of-the-art, influencing clinical standards of care and accelerating discoveries by setting research priorities. The 3rd ICM was held on May 8–10, 2025 in Istanbul (Turkey) and included a 2-year-long Delphi process that culminated with in-person voting by 1205 delegates on 102 General and 30 Biofilm-specific MSKI questions. Consistent with prior ICMs, a Research Priorities Workgroup was established after the voting to interpret the results and summarize the most important future directions. Here, the group reports on several critical research priorities that emerged, which should be addressed to advance the field. These include: (1) improving diagnostics through standardized patient sampling, advanced non-invasive imaging technologies, and biofilm-specific biomarkers; (2) developing clinically relevant in-vitro and in-vivo models to rigorously and reproducibly test antibiofilm strategies; (3) identifying high priority immunological research areas, including deciphering the role of T-cell immunity in biofilm persistence, and if T cell targeting therapies can be harnessed to disrupt chronic biofilm-associated infection; (4) clinically evaluating novel anti-biofilm technologies on larger cohorts of patients; and (5) addressing translational barriers through the use of multi-center data collection and large-scale data tools to accelerate clinical application. These research priorities aim to enhance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of biofilm-associated MSKI.</p>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jor.70179","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147513051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Connexin 43 Modulates β-Catenin–Dependent Transcription and Secretory Responses to Oscillatory Fluid Flow in Osteocytes","authors":"Michael A. Friedman,&nbsp;Yue Zhang,&nbsp;Nathanael Neece,&nbsp;Caleb Ryan,&nbsp;Chris Brunkhorst,&nbsp;Henry J. Donahue","doi":"10.1002/jor.70165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Osteocytes detect and transduce mechanical cues into biochemical signals that regulate bone remodeling. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the predominant gap junction protein in osteocytes, but its role in β-catenin signaling during mechanical loading remains unclear. Wild-type (WT) and Cx43 knockout (KO) OCY454 osteocytes were subjected to oscillatory fluid flow (10 dynes/cm² 1 Hz) using the Flexcell Streamer system. β-catenin activation was assessed by Western blot and TOPflash reporter assays. Gene expression and secreted factors were quantified by qPCR and ELISA. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed a Cx43–β-catenin interaction in WT cells. KO cells exhibited reduced active β-catenin protein but paradoxically elevated β-catenin/TCF transcriptional activity. Cx43 deficiency altered flow-responsive expression of <i>Rankl</i> and <i>Col1a1,</i> reduced baseline <i>Ptgs2</i> and <i>Gja1</i>, and shifted the secretome toward increased OPG and reduced PGE₂ after flow. Cx43 regulates β-catenin signaling through physical interaction and modulation of transcriptional output, linking membrane-level mechanosensing to nuclear gene regulation. These findings extend prior models of Cx43 as a mechanosensory scaffold by demonstrating its role in coordinating β-catenin activation and transcriptional responses to mechanical loading in osteocytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jor.70165","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147614828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating Ligament Laxity Profiles Across Full Range of Motion in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Insights Into the Tibia-First Technique","authors":"Prudhvi Tej Chinimilli,&nbsp;Laurent D. Angibaud,&nbsp;Amaury Jung,&nbsp;Omar Naji,&nbsp;James I. Huddleston III","doi":"10.1002/jor.70181","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70181","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alignment techniques in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) continue to evolve with advancements in implantation technologies. The recent possibility of reliably characterizing the soft-tissue envelope has enabled the development of TKA alignment techniques such as functional alignment, which aims to restore constitutional alignment while achieving proper soft-tissue balance. Although these techniques offer guidelines for bone cut parameters in terms of alignment boundaries, the definition of laxities remains unclear. In this regard, this study focuses on tibia-first TKA cases, evaluating laxity signatures when defining femoral cut parameters. This retrospective review analyzed 1762 TKA cases performed by 20 surgeons using a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery (CAOS) system. The cases were stratified based on the bearing type into three classes: posterior-stabilized (PS), cruciate-retaining (CR), and cruciate-retaining constrained (CRC). Statistical analysis, including two-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey multiple comparisons of the group means, demonstrated substantial surgeon-to-surgeon variability in intraoperative laxity profiles, irrespective of bearing type, compartment side, and tibial cut preference. This study highlights surgeon-specific differences in laxity profiles derived during intraoperative femoral planning, emphasizing the need for patient-specific guidelines to optimize TKA outcomes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147486410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Pulley Radius on Tendon Durability Under Cyclic Loading in a Rabbit Model","authors":"Brenna W. Popham,&nbsp;Michael J. Pavol,&nbsp;Kian J. Kelly,&nbsp;Ravi Balasubramanian","doi":"10.1002/jor.70180","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70180","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Factors influencing damage to tendons routed about curved implant surfaces (“pulleys”) remain poorly understood. This study thus investigated the effect of pulley radius on tendon durability under cyclic loading. Rabbit extensor digitorum communis tendon bundles were wrapped 160° about titanium pulleys of radius 2 mm, 3 mm, or 4.5 mm and subjected to 100,000 (<i>n</i> = 21) or 500,000 (<i>n</i> = 12) cycles of low-magnitude tensile loading over a fixed range of forces. Pulley radius had no significant effects on loading-induced changes in effective stiffness in the tests to 100,000 cycles. The bundles exhibited large, rapid initial increases in effective stiffness, consistent with increasing gliding resistance, with short- and longer-term exponential rate constants of approximately 1200 and 22,500 cycles. For all pulley radii, tendon bundle effective stiffness showed continued, slight linear increases, averaging 1.3 µN/mm/cycle, from 150,000 cycles onward in the 500,000-cycle tests. No tendon failures were observed, but there were visible tendon bundle damage and consistent tendon-pulley adhesion for all pulley radii. The findings suggest that, within the simulated postoperative period and range of radii considered, pulley radius has a negligible influence on tendon durability.</p>\u0000 <p><b>Clinical Significance:</b> It appears the implant radius of curvature can vary over a large range without notably increasing the risk of tendon failure, but also without notably reducing the adverse effects of tendon-implant contact. Damage countermeasures other than manipulating the radius of curvature of implant surfaces may be needed to achieve clinically acceptable durability of tendons that interact with implants.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Focal Vibration Technique on Lower Limb Performance: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study","authors":"Gisela Cisa-Ribas,&nbsp;Sonia Monterde Pérez","doi":"10.1002/jor.70178","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70178","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance capabilities of amateur soccer players using a focal vibration protocol at 120 Hertz combined with stationary bicycle pedaling at 80–90 revolutions per minute for 10 min, in one session per week for three consecutive weeks, to analyze its impact on five countermovement jumps (CMJ). A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted at soccer clubs in the province of Tarragona involving a sample of 107 soccer players. The main outcome measures included CMJ height, electrical muscle activation of the vastus medialis of the quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius muscles, and jump, power, velocity, and strength. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in the intervention group: CMJ height (<i>p</i> = 0.04; <i>d</i> = 4.38; power = 0.97), vastus medialis quadriceps (<i>p</i> = 0.001; <i>d</i> = 0.28; power = 0.95), tibialis anterior (<i>p</i> = 0.02; <i>d</i> = 0.24; power = 0.95), internal gastrocnemius (<i>p</i> = 0.005; <i>d</i> = 0.28; power = 0.95), power (<i>p</i> = &lt; 0.001; <i>d</i> = 0.16; power = 0.95), and velocity (<i>p</i> = 0.03; <i>d</i> = 0.39; power = 0.95). These findings demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in CMJ performance following the application of a focal vibration protocol combined with stationary bicycle pedaling at 80–90 revolutions per minute for 10 min, in one session per week for three consecutive weeks, compared to a simulated focal vibration protocol. The results suggest that focal vibration is a valuable tool in the world of football, a high-impact and high-power sport.</p>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12982011/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dose-Dependent, Biomechanical Recovery of Permeability Ex Vivo in GAG-Depleted Cartilage With a Synthetic Polyelectrolyte, Polystyrene Sulfonate","authors":"Qurat-Ul-Ain Bhatti,&nbsp;Shalini Sundar,&nbsp;Allison Koopman,&nbsp;Zoe A. Fields,&nbsp;Kyla F. Ortved,&nbsp;David L. Burris,&nbsp;Justin Parreno,&nbsp;Laure V. Kayser,&nbsp;Charles B. Dhong","doi":"10.1002/jor.70177","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jor.70177","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Articular cartilage is a specialized connective tissue responsible for load-bearing function in diarthrodial joints. In early osteoarthritis (OA), depletion of negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) side chains within cartilage reduces its ability to maintain high osmotic pressure, leaving the matrix susceptible to further damage. In the biomechanical recovery of damaged cartilage, some OA therapies have focused on collagen repair to restore tissue stiffness, but comparatively fewer have targeted the osmotic contribution of GAGs to cartilage mechanics. In this study, we have investigated poly(styrene) sulfonate (PSS) as a synthetic proteoglycan mimic to restore lost negative charge in GAG-depleted cartilage. Notably, PSS treatment led to near complete recovery of tissue permeability, a direct measure of fixed charge density. In contrast, other commercially available treatments tested did not show measurable biomechanical improvements. These findings, combined with tissue cytotoxicity experiments, demonstrate that PSS-based molecules as synthetic GAG replacements are effective in restoring lost fixed charge density (FCD) and subsequent biomechanical properties of cartilage, thus supporting the potential of PSS as a novel therapeutic strategy for OA.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16650,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Orthopaedic Research®","volume":"44 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}