Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the whole joint, at the centre of which lies the interface between cartilage and bone. Altered transfer of mechanical stress across this boundary is thought to result from, and to exacerbate, OA, but molecular crosstalk was presumed to be minimal. Accumulating data challenge this assumption, and this Review explores the biology and pathology of the bone–cartilage functional unit.
- Rik J. Lories
- Frank P. Luyten
