The Illustrative Role of the Subchondral Bone and the Overlying Cartilage

Articular cartilage has the ability to absorb the loading stress and create a low friction and high resistance to the wear and tear, which provides a smooth joint movement and weight-bearing capability to the joint. A loss of function of the articular cartilage due to trauma or osteoarthritis (OA) induces a functional disability of the joint. The subchondral bone plays a crucial role in the cartilage metabolism, load-bearing, and nourishment and is a warehouse of the cartilage cells and the growth factors. A damaged subchondral bone no longer maintains cartilage homeostasis, which leads to a loss of proteoglycan, glycoprotein, load-bearing capacity, and the vascularity [1]. In the treatment of articular cartilage, it is important to know the importance of the subchondral bone including the relationship of the articular cartilage and the subchondral bone.