Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Alleviates Osteoarthritis Condition Through Focal Adhesion Kinase-Mediated Chondrocyte Proliferation and Differentiation

Sang F, Xu J, Chen Z, Liu Q, Jiang W · Cartilage

Treated mice scored lower on the arthritis score and bore more weight than untreated osteoarthritic mice, and interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and TNF-alpha fell in synovial fluid. In the cell lines ultrasound raised chondrocyte number and differentiation markers, and blocking focal adhesion kinase abolished both effects and the anti-inflammatory effect in the mice. No cartilage histology, cartilage thickness or matrix measurement is reported anywhere in the paper.

Population

C57BL/6 mice with osteoarthritis induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection, plus the C28/I2 and CHON-001 immortalised human chondrocyte lines

Intervention

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound; the cell work used 50 and 100 mW/cm2 for 10 minutes

Comparator

Untreated osteoarthritic mice, sham-operated mice, and untreated cells

Limitations

The title's claim about chondrocytes rests on two immortalised cell lines rather than primary articular chondrocytes, and the joint-level claim rests on an arthritis score, weight-bearing and synovial cytokines rather than on cartilage: nothing in the paper measures the tissue. Mouse anterior cruciate ligament transection is a fast surgical model of post-traumatic disease. The authors report no financial support and no conflicts of interest.