REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Bone Research
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1571502
Matrix Stiffness in Osteoarthritis: From Mechanism Introduction to Biomaterial-Based Therapies
Provisionally accepted
Kai Huang1*
Haili Cai2- 1Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- 2The 903th Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent joint disorder associated with aging, is characterized by impaired extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and the degradation of articular cartilage. It is influenced by various factors, including aging and mechanical stress (such as traumatic injury). Increasing evidence suggests that alterations in cartilage stiffness occur during OA progression, particularly at its onset. This review comprehensively examines how aging and mechanical stress contribute to ECM stiffening, a precursor to irreversible cartilage degradation. We also discuss how increased matrix stiffness disrupts the homeostatic balance between chondrocyte catabolism and anabolism and the mechanotransduction pathways involved in cartilage stiffening. Furthermore, the potential of cartilage engineering to target the stiffness of synthetic materials is explored as a promising approach to advancing cartilage repair and regeneration in OA. A deeper understanding of this research area may not only lead to more innovative strategies for early OA detection and diagnosis but also offer novel insights into OA treatment and prognosis.
Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Cartilage, Matrix stiffness, Signaling Pathways, Chondrocytes
Received: 05 Feb 2025; Accepted: 15 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang and Cai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kai Huang, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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