Mankin score evaluates several aspects related to characteristic OA changes, including superficial tissue changes such as surface fibrillation and depletion of proteoglycans.
Other characteristic OA features, such as bone marrow lesions, meniscal lesions, and synovitis, can be visualized and assessed simultaneously, enabling study of the potential OA risk factors and mechanisms of the OA disease process [ 18, 19].
This, in combination with the characteristic OA-dependent induction of Mmp13 expression, resulted in a significantly increased total Mmp13 expression level in the Tfap2e−/− mice at day 17 after disease onset, which most likely is responsible for enhanced OA severity in these animals.
After a clinical examination, physicians were asked to complete a questionnaire covering the clinical characteristics of OA, co-morbidities, current medications and the different treatments prescribed for knee OA at the end of the consultation.
The characteristics of OA are degeneration and destruction of the articular cartilage, with secondary induction of hydrarthrosis and synovitis by inflammatory cytokines and growth factors from the destroyed cartilage and synovial membrane [1].
Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were computed for participant characteristics and OA treatment use to describe between-clinic variation.Study clinics varied considerably across all measures, with notable differences in numbers of patients age 55+ (1,507-5,400), urban/rural location (ranging from "rural" to "small city"), and proportion of county households below poverty level (12%-26 12%-26
This fits with the demographic characteristics of OA [ 23].
However, the mechanisms underlying the pathological characteristics of OA are still not fully understood.
The clinical and demographic characteristics of OA patients and their controls are shown in Table 1.
Characteristics of OA development include progressive loss of articular cartilage and increasing inflammation.
