Bisphosphonates rescue articular cartilage from trauma damage

We previously found that systemic injection of zoledronic acid (ZA), a bisphosphonate, could suppress the post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) in meniscus dislocated animal model. The aim of this study is to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ZA's chondro-protective function. We found that ZA can rescue the trauma-damaged cartilage explants during in vitro culture without the presence of subchondral bone. The effect of ZA is associated with the intracellular calcium ([Ca
²⁺
]
i
) signaling of chondrocytes and the inhibition of mevalonate pathway, especially the protein geranylgeranylation. Our results indicate that local administration of bisphosphonate could serve as a new potential therapeutic technique to prevent the initiation of PTOA.