title: Topographical investigation of changes in depth-wise proteoglycan distribution in rabbit femoral articular cartilage at 4 weeks after transection of the anterior cruciate ligament.
abstract: In this study, we explore topographical changes in proteoglycan distribution from femoral condylar cartilage in early osteoarthritis, acquired from both the lateral and medial condyles of anterior cruciate ligament transected (ACLT) and contralateral (CNTRL) rabbit knee joints, at 4 weeks post operation. Four sites across the cartilage surface in a parasagittal plane were defined across tissue sections taken from femoral condyles, and proteoglycan (PG) content was quantified using digital densitometry. The greatest depth-wise change in PG content due to an ACLT (compared to the CNTRL group) was observed anteriorly (site C) from the most weight-bearing location within the lateral compartment. In the medial compartment, the greatest change was observed in the most weight-bearing location (site B). The depth-wise changes in PG content were observed up to 48% and 28% depth from the tissue surface at these aforementioned sites, respectively (p < 0.05). The smallest depth-wise change in PG content was observed posteriorly (site A) from the most weight-bearing location within both femoral condyles (up to 20% and up to 5% depth from the tissue surface at lateral and medial compartments, respectively). This study gives further insight into how early cartilage deterioration progresses across the parasagittal plane of the femoral condyle.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FI-70211, Finland.
authors.forename: Mikko E A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Arokoski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FI-70211, Finland.
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tiitu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FI-70211, Finland.
authors.forename: Jukka S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jurvelin
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FI-70211, Finland.
authors.forename: Rami K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FI-70211, Finland.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016474:Weight-Bearing
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans
keywords: ACLT; cartilage; femoral condyle; proteoglycan content; rabbit