An indispensable collection of updated classical and emerging techniques that promise to add critical knowledge to our understanding of cartilage metabolism in health and disease. Volume 1: Cellular and Molecular Tools describes proven molecular and cellular techniques for the in vitro study of normal and osteoarthritic cartilage through biochemical, biomolecular, immunological, and physical approaches, with emphasis on the genetic manipulation of cells. Volume 2: Structure and In Vivo Analysis, offers cutting-edge procedures for the study-at the tissue level-of turnover, structure, and functioning of normal and diseased articular cartilage by invasive and noninvasive means. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the two volumes of Cartilage and Osteoarthritis provide researchers and bench scientists with readily reproducible protocols for new experiments to understand-from the cellular to the animal level-the pathophysiology of cartilage and to discover molecular targets for pharmacological intervention.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Generation and Use of Transgenic Mice As Models of Osteoarthritis.- Development and Clinical Application in Arthritis of a New Immunoassay for Serum Type IIA Procollagen NH2 Propeptide.- Histological and Immunohistological Studies on Cartilage.- Histochemical Visualization of the Cartilage Hyaladherins Using a Biotinylated Hyaluronan Oligosaccharide Bioaffinity Probe.- Methods for Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Histomorphometry.- Laser-Mediated Microdissection As a Tool for Molecular Analysis in Arthritis.- Analysis of Protein Distribution in Cartilage Using Immunofluorescence and Laser Confocal Scanning Microscopy.- Molecular and Biochemical Assays of Cartilage Components.- Mechanical Characterization of Native and Tissue-Engineered Cartilage.- Noninvasive Study of Human Cartilage Structure by MRI.- High-Resolution MRI Techniques for Studies in Small-Animal Models.- High-Resolution Imaging of Osteoarthritis Using Microcomputed Tomography.- High-Resolution Ultrasonography for Analysis of Age- and Disease-Related Cartilage Changes.- Evaluation of Cartilage Composition and Degradation by High-Resolution Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.- Pulsed-Field Gradient-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (PFG NMR) to Measure the Diffusion of Ions and Polymers in Cartilage.- Dynamics of Collagen in Articular Cartilage Studied by Solid-State NMR Methods.- Computerized Protocol for Anatomical and Functional Studies of Joints.