Articular Cartilage

Well-known for their inability to heal, articular cartilage injuries often degenerate inexorably to disastrous impairment. Multitudes of treatments have been devised for this problem, but no satisfactory long-term solutions have been established. Written by world-class experts, Articular Cartilage covers the latest research and advancements related to biology, development, pathology, clinical applications, and tissue engineering. This book is useful for rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, cartilage biologists, and cartilage engineers as well as for professionals working in the orthopaedic and other musculoskeletal industries. This book also belongs in the library of primary care physicians, gerontologists, physical therapists, kinesiologists, and chiropractors. Written at a level that allows accessibility to a wide audience, it provides an interdisciplinary approach that encompasses the breadth and depth of basic science, bioengineering, translational science, and detailed methodologic approaches. The authors examine the major events and signaling molecules that lead to development of articular cartilage from precursor cells, and the changes in cartilage as it matures and ages. They focus on the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, and therapeutic approaches for cartilage injury and the major arthritides that affect cartilage and the synovial joints such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. They supply an up-to-date overview of the field of tissue engineering as applied to articular cartilage repair. They examine a number of methods used to assess structure, composition, biology, and biomechanical function. Each chapter contains extensive references to enhance additional study. The book’s comprehensive focus on multiple aspects of articular cartilage sets it apart from other tissue engineering or developmental biology-based books available. It includes important discussions and perspectives on many of the remaining challenges and opportunities in the development and translation of new approaches for treating diseases of articular cartilage. It also provides detailed working protocols for many of the methods used to study articular cartilage, coverage of current treatment options, and business and regulatory aspects of the development of cartilage products. It provides a deeper understanding that will help with the development of new products and clinical applications.Table of ContentStructure and Function of CartilageIntroductionChondrocytes and Their Cellular CharacteristicsCartilage Matrix Characteristics and OrganizationArticular Cartilage Biomechanical PropertiesChapter ConceptsReferencesArticular Cartilage DevelopmentIntroductionCellular Behavior during EmbryogenesisArticular Cartilage Growth and MaturationSignaling Pathways during Development and Maintenance of Articular CartilageSignaling FactorsChapter ConceptsReferencesArticular Cartilage Pathology and TherapiesIntroductionCartilage InjuriesCurrent and Emerging Therapies for Articular Cartilage Repair and ArthritisMotivation for Tissue EngineeringChapter ConceptsAppendixReferencesTissue Engineering of Articular CartilageIntroductionThe Need for In Vitro Tissue EngineeringCell SourceBiomaterials and Scaffold DesignBioactive Molecules for Cartilage EngineeringBioreactors and Mechanical StimulationConvergence of StimuliChapter ConceptsReferencesMethods for Evaluating Articular Cartilage QualityIntroductionImaging TechniquesHistology, Immunohistochemistry, and Other Ultrastructural TechniquesTechniques for the Quantitative Assessment of Biochemical ComponentsBiomechanical TechniquesAnimal ModelsClinical Scoring SystemsChapter ConceptsReferencesPerspectives on the Translational Aspects of Articular Cartilage BiologyIntroductionChallenges and Opportunities in Articular Cartilage Biology and RegenerationImmune Response, Immunogenicity, and TransplantsBusiness Aspects and Regulatory AffairsStatutes and GuidelinesChapter ConceptsReferencesExperimental ProtocolsIntroductionTissue and Cell CultureGross Morphology, Histology, and ImmunohistochemistryProtein AnalysisInsoluble Matrix Component Extraction and AssayingRNA Extraction and Gene ExpressionAssaying Tissue Biomechanical PropertiesAnimal ProtocolsReview Quote"By revealing the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated in this area, as well as exposing the tremendous opportunities for advancement, Articular Cartilage provides a critical template for those seeking to study one of the most complex tissues of the human body. Only through this level of understanding will we eventually be able to develop new methods to diagnose, prevent, or treat diseases of articular cartilage."—From the Foreword by Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., Laszlo Ormandy Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA "… this is an important contribution to the literature on the important tissue/issue cartilage that I can strongly recommend to everyone interested in cartilage – basic scientists as well as clinical doctors. …It covers up to date knowledge on cartilage (mainly hyaline articular cartilage) regarding morphology, biomechanics, development and tissue engineering. …Most of the chapters are full of interesting facts and presented in an easy to read style."––International Cartilage Repair Society, Winter 2013Biographical NoteKyriacos A. Athanasiou is a Distinguished Professor and Chair Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. Eric M. Darling is an Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology at Brown University, Rhode Island. Jerry C. Hu is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis.