Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, usually diagnosed from wear of articular cartilage (AC). Currently there is no cure, and one major obstacle for development has been the inability to define the structural changes associated with pre- and early-OA. There is strong evidence that the first signs of OA appear in subchondral bone (SCB) before any changes are visible in AC. In this project, changes in SCB and calcified cartilage (CC) are characterized comprehensively using novel and state-of- the-art techniques, and the effects of the changes on AC are studied using computational modeling. This project will reveal the most significant structural and compositional markers of pre- and early-OA and provide a timeline of the alterations, especially in SCB and CC. The project will provide broad understanding on the development of OA and has significant potential for breakthroughs in understanding the fundamental reasons behind the disease.

2024

2028