Department of Connective Tissue Biology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
Scand J Rheumatol. 2011;40(5):391-9. doi: 10.3109/03009742.2011.571218. Epub 2011 Jun 17.
To describe the age-related changes of articular cartilage, subchondral bone morphology, and stiffness. Furthermore, to investigate whether subchondral bone histological and mechanical properties and meniscal histological properties are related to articular cartilage damage in the Dunkin Hartley guinea pig model of osteoarthritis (OA).
Forty male Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs aged 2, 6, 9, and 12 months were studied. The right stifle joints and the left menisci were embedded undecalcified and the tibial articular cartilage and subchondral bone and the menisci were examined using histology. The stiffness of the left tibial subchondral bone was determined with indentation testing.
The Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) grade of the osteoarthritic cartilage lesions of the medial (p < 0.001) and lateral (p < 0.001) condyle and the ossification of the medial (p < 0.001) and lateral (p < 0.001) meniscus increased significantly with age and was significantly more pronounced at the medial condyle than at the lateral condyle. The grade of the osteoarthritic cartilage lesions was significantly correlated (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) with the meniscal ossification, weakly correlated (r = 0.34, p < 0.007) with the subchondral bone plate thickness, and not correlated with the subchondral bone density (r = -0.010, p = 0.94) and the subchondral bone stiffness (r = -0.13, p = 0.30).
The meniscal ossification observed in Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of OA in these animals.
描述关节软骨、软骨下骨形态和硬度的年龄相关性变化。此外，研究软骨下骨组织学和力学特性以及半月板组织学特性是否与 Dunkin Hartley 豚鼠骨关节炎（OA）模型中的关节软骨损伤有关。
研究了 40 只 2、6、9 和 12 月龄的雄性 Dunkin Hartley 豚鼠。右侧膝关节和左侧半月板未经脱钙包埋，用组织学方法检查胫骨关节软骨和软骨下骨以及半月板。用压痕试验测定左侧胫骨软骨下骨的硬度。
内侧（p < 0.001）和外侧（p < 0.001）髁的骨关节炎研究协会国际（OARSI）分级和内侧（p < 0.001）和外侧（p < 0.001）半月板的骨化随着年龄的增长而显著增加，且内侧髁比外侧髁更为明显。骨关节炎性软骨病变的分级与半月板骨化显著相关（r = 0.78，p < 0.001），与软骨下骨板厚度弱相关（r = 0.34，p < 0.007），与软骨下骨密度无关（r = -0.010，p = 0.94）和软骨下骨硬度（r = -0.13，p = 0.30）。
在 Dunkin Hartley 豚鼠中观察到的半月板骨化可能在这些动物的 OA 发病机制中起重要作用。
