Articular cartilage is prone to damage from sports injuries/aging, which often
progresses to osteoarthritis, an inflammatory and degenerative joint disease characterized
by degradation of the entire joint, leading to pain and disability. Current pharmaceutical
and surgical interventions relieve pain and improve joint function, but the long-term results
are not satisfactory. More recently, stem cell-based strategies that include direct intraarticular
injection of mesenchymal stem cells and implantation of tissue-engineered
cartilage grafts have been developed. This chapter will first review the cartilage structure,
composition, and pathology, and then summarize the most recent advances in applying
mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of cartilage defects and osteoarthritis.
Keywords: Cartilage, Clinical trials, Osteoarthritis, Stem cells, Tissue
engineering, Tissue regeneration.
