title: Radiocarbon dating reveals minimal collagen turnover in both healthy and osteoarthritic human cartilage.
abstract: The poor regenerative capacity of articular cartilage presents a major clinical challenge and may relate to a limited turnover of the cartilage collagen matrix. However, the collagen turnover rate during life is not clear, and it is debated whether osteoarthritis (OA) can influence it. Using the carbon-14 ((14)C) bomb-pulse method, life-long replacement rates of collagen were measured in tibial plateau cartilage from 23 persons born between 1935 and1997 (15 and 8 persons with OA and healthy cartilage, respectively). The (14)C levels observed in cartilage collagen showed that, virtually, no replacement of the collagen matrix happened after skeletal maturity and that neither OA nor tissue damage, per se, influenced collagen turnover. Regional differences in (14)C content across the joint surface showed that cartilage collagen located centrally on the joint surface is formed several years earlier than collagen located peripherally. The collagen matrix of human articular cartilage is an essentially permanent structure that has no significant turnover in adults, even with the occurrence of disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg Hospital, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
authors.forename: Katja M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Heinemeier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg Hospital, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schjerling
authors.affiliation: AMS C Dating Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinemeier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg Hospital, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mathias B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.affiliation: Section for Sports Traumatology M51, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Krogsgaard
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Tumor Section, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grum-Schwensen
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Tumor Section, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery M, Bispebjerg Hospital, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. michaelkjaer@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kjaer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055110:Radiometric Dating / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; C000615234:Carbon-14; D003094:Collagen