Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an ongoing, chronic, and systemic autoimmune disorder that affects connective tissues, one or more joints, cartilage, and bones. Recent researches have reported that carvacrol and probiotics can be used to ameliorate inflammatory disorders due to their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties. Therefore, this research was aimed to evaluate the effects of carvacrol and lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) in the treatment of an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis, adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). Carvacrol and L. rhamnosus significantly diminished the severity levels of AIA, which was along with a reduction in the inflammatory cell populations in the synovial tissue. Additionally, carvacrol and L. rhamnosus significantly downregulated disease-related cytokines as well as an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokines in compared to control groups. Furthermore, carvacrol and L. rhamnosus downregulated the differentiation of T-helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells while induced cell differentiation via regulating their key transcription factors. The current study demonstrated carvacrol and L. rhamnosus improved clinical and laboratory factors in the treatment of AIA.

Symptomatic ankle osteoarthritis is associated with a substantial disease burden. Although many patients benefit from nonsurgical management, surgical intervention is commonly indicated for endstage osteoarthritis. In recent years, total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has gained popularity. Patient A: 90 y/o female, severe comorbidities, idiopathic ankle osteoarthritis, orthopedic shoe adaptation. Patient B: 58 y/o female, healthy, arthrodesis for osteoarthritis due to chronic instability, pain-free after one year, full consolidation. Patient C: 66 y/o male, healthy, TAA for posttraumatic osteoarthritis, pain-free one year after surgery with good ankle mobility. The choice of treatment is guided by patient-specific characteristics. Nonoperative management is generally preferred for individuals with mild symptoms, minimal osteoarthritic changes, or those who are non-operable. Arthrodesis is typically indicated for younger, physically active, or heavier patients, whereas total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is more suitable for relatively older, moderately active patients with a flexible, neutrally-aligned ankle. Overall, management of ankle osteoarthritis is individualized, and TAA can be an effective option for appropriately selected patients.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by pathological features such as chondrocyte loss and cartilage matrix degradation. Superficial zone chondrocytes (SFC), located in the outermost layer of articular cartilage and in direct contact with synovial fluid, are the first to respond to mechanical stress and friction. In this study, SFC were isolated and identified in vitro, and their proliferatives and anti-apoptotic properties were examined. Additionally, an early OA inflammatory environment was successfully simulated in cell experiments, demonstrating that inflammatory conditions reduce stemness-associated marker expression in SFC, activate multiple inflammatory pathways, and promote MMP3 expression. When SFC were subjected to cyclic mechanical stretching under inflammatory conditions, increased expression of the mechanosensitive channel Piezo1, enhanced calcium-associated mechanotransduction sensitivity, and disruption of the cytoskeleton were associated with aggravated catabolic responses and apoptosis under inflammatory mechanical stimulation. These findings elucidate the role of SFC in early OA pathogenesis and provide insight into early OA pathogenesis and suggest potential directions for mechanism-based intervention.

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease traditionally considered cutaneous in nature. Emerging data suggest HS may also have systemic inflammatory effects, including musculoskeletal involvement, yet large-scale studies evaluating incident joint disease following HS diagnosis are limited. Objective To quantify the 12-month incidence of new-onset musculoskeletal manifestations, including synovitis, enthesopathy, and small joint pain, among patients with newly diagnosed HS. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX US Collaborative Network, analyzing electronic health records from 71 healthcare organizations. Patients aged 18-40 years with newly diagnosed HS and no prior history of joint disease were included. Outcomes assessed within 12 months of HS diagnosis included synovitis, tenosynovitis, enthesopathy, and small joint pain. Kaplan-Meier survival and frequency analyses were performed. Results Among 125,181 patients with HS, 1.2% developed synovitis or enthesopathy, and 2.3% developed small joint pain within one year of diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier survival probabilities at 12 months were 98.5% for synovitis/enthesopathy-free survival and 97.2% for small joint pain-free survival. The median number of outcome instances per patient was 1, with mean instances of 2.14 and 2.24, respectively. Conclusion This large-scale cohort study demonstrates that HS is associated with an early risk of musculoskeletal involvement, reinforcing its classification as a systemic inflammatory condition. Clinicians should monitor for joint-related symptoms in HS patients, particularly within the first year of diagnosis, to enable timely intervention and prevent progression.

Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes, has been associated in some studies with increased osteoarthritis (OA) risk, greater symptom burden, and structural progression; however, epidemiological evidence remains heterogeneous, and the extent to which diabetes independently contributes to OA after accounting for obesity, adiposity, physical inactivity, and other metabolic confounders remains debated. In metabolically susceptible patients, chronic hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, carbonyl stress, and low-grade inflammation may contribute to disruption of the joint microenvironment. One proposed mechanism involves the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can cross-link with type I/II collagen and may increase extracellular matrix crosslinking and stiffness. Through these biochemical and biomechanical effects, the AGE-collagen axis may influence chondrocyte mechanotransduction, inflammatory signaling, matrix turnover, and cell survival, thereby providing a plausible but not yet fully validated link between systemic metabolic dysfunction and OA-relevant structural degeneration. Recent advances in biomaterials may offer experimental and translational strategies to modulate the glycated, inflamed, and mechanically altered joint microenvironment. These approaches include stiffness-tunable and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, nanocarriers designed to deliver anti-AGE agents or AGE-cleaving enzymes, osteochondral gradient scaffolds that mimic native tissue transitions, and immunomodulatory materials that may attenuate local inflammation. At present, these interventions should be viewed primarily as preclinical or early translational strategies rather than established disease-modifying therapies. This review discusses the potential molecular and biomechanical implications of the AGE-collagen axis in diabetes-related OA, critically evaluates emerging biomaterials-based therapeutic approaches, and highlights preclinical evaluation models and outcome measures. Finally, we outline key translational challenges-including targeted delivery, long-term safety of degradation products, metabolic heterogeneity, patient stratification, and integration with systemic therapies-and propose methodological frameworks to support the future development of clinically testable biomaterials interventions.

Osteoarthritis (OA) represents one of the most prevalent forms of chronic joint disease. Although conventional therapeutic strategies offer symptomatic relief to a certain extent, their efficacy and applicability are constrained by notable limitations and deficiencies. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), emerging as a novel therapeutic modality, has garnered increasing attention due to its operational simplicity, demonstrated efficacy, and independence from geographical constraints. Accumulating evidence indicates that VNS modulates the autonomic nervous system, thereby suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoting the polarization of macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, ultimately alleviating OA symptoms. However, controversies persist regarding optimal stimulation parameters, potential adverse effects, and the overall therapeutic efficacy of VNS. This review summarizes current research advances and unresolved challenges concerning the application of VNS in OA management. Furthermore, it elucidates the underlying mechanisms by which vagus nerve intervention mitigates OA pathology, providing a reference for future research directions in this field.

Pain experienced during functional activities, referred to as movement-evoked pain (MEP), is a common and disabling symptom in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Unlike pain at rest, MEP may better reflect the real-life burden of KOA and is increasingly recognised as a core outcome in musculoskeletal pain trials. However, its clinical utility remains limited by a lack of evidence on its measurement properties. This study aims to evaluate the test-retest reliability and validity of MEP assessments during functional tasks in individuals with KOA.