Authors:

Graham Ragl

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About Paper:

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a degenerative joint disease that commonly develops after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. We have implemented a non-invasive model of ACL rupture (ACLR) by single tibial compression which initiates the onset and progression of PTOA in mice. Although this model has provided insights into PTOA, the mice selected have not been skeletally mature at the time of injury, which may limit the model's representation of the young adult human population that is most vulnerable to joint injury. The complex interactions between synovial inflammation, circulatory immune cell response, and structural changes in the joint following non-invasive joint injury are not well understood. The quantification of shifts in lymphocytes, highly mobile adaptive immune cells, in response to joint injury could provide insight into the mechanisms by which immune response contributes to OA development. This study aims to utilize histological staining to visualize and grade cartilage degradation by scoring sections according to OARSI guidelines for PTOA. Flow cytometry will be employed to quantify changes in lymphocyte populations in blood and spleens after ACLR. This study also aims to compare the progression of PTOA in skeletally mature mice to previously reported results in 10-week-old mice at 1 week after injury to evaluate how age contributes to differences in early joint remodeling and inflammation that contributes to PTOA. T cell populations will also be quantified and compared between sham and injured mice to evaluate how immune cells and systemic inflammation contribute to PTOA after ACLR. Findings from this study can be used to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of joint remodeling and associated immune responses following injury.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

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Co-authors:

Graham Ragl