Synovium and Infrapatellar fat pad are one functional tissue unit sharing common mesenchymal progenitors and undergoing coordinated changes in osteoarthritis
The Infrapatellar fat pads (IFP) are two wedge shaped fatty structures situated below the kneecap (patella), lying either side of the patellar tendon, first described by Hoffa in 1904. Recent studies reveal that knee OA causes pathological fibrosis, stiffening, and inflammation of the synovium and IFP (4, 5) (6). Multiple groups, including our co-investigator Dr. Changhai Ding, reported that MRI signal intensity alteration in IFP is strongly associated with OA knee structural abnormalities and may serve as an imaging biomarker to predict OA progression in patients (7-10). However, we have limited knowledge regarding the regulation of synovium and IFP functions for joint homeostasis and OA development. Overall design: cell atlas of mouse synovium cells during DMM induced OA process