Biomechanical Factors of Secondary Osteoarthritis: Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress as Predictive Factors of Joint Destruction

Patients with clinically manifest OA typically consult the physician at time of irreversible cartilage destruction. This is due to the long time clinically silent progress of the disease. A biomarker screening profile for joint damage is a valuable tool for the detection of over use and joint damaging conditions especially in competitive sports. This would provide a method for OA risk assessment for the patient before clinical symptoms occur. For this the first step is the identification of biological substances reflecting pathologic changes in the joint.

Since preterm chondrocyte senescence, apoptosis and ageing related changes are key factors in OA pathophysiology and each of these factors is closely related to oxidative dysbalance the measurement of these factors and correlation with the amount of joint damage is promising.