New potential markers for cartilage degradation of the knee joint

Abstract

Objective: To determine the correlation of biochemical markers with the degree of cartilage degradation. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, synovial fluid samples were obtained from 65 patients with cartilage lesions of the knee joint. The measured biochemical markers included MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13, the tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP-1), COMP, YKL-40, and tenascin. The marker levels were compared with the Outerbridge and the Noyes classification. Results: For the majority of markers, the correlation coefficient was below r = 0.3. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained from tenascin (r = 0.66 and 0.67) and MMP-13 (r = 0.44 and 0.41). Conclusion: The overall results indicate that the majority of the tested markers is unspecific with regard to the different stages of the two classifications. However, tenascin and MMP-13 could be of clinical importance to indicate advanced stages. Yet the values of these markers in longitudinal studies are not known.

• Biochemical Markers
• Cartilage Degradation
• Synovial Fluid
• Correlation