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Histological analysis of age-related degeneration in human female and male knee cartilage and meniscus

Sjögren, Amanda LU orcid ; Bodahl, Sara LU orcid ; Hughes, Velocity LU ; Turkiewicz, Aleksandra LU ; Aspberg, Anders LU orcid ; Hellberg, Iida ; Karjalainen, Ville Pauli ; Ali, Neserin LU orcid ; Önnerfjord, Patrik LU orcid and Englund, Martin LU orcid (2026) In Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open 8(1).
Abstract

Objectives: To assess level of degeneration in human knee cartilage and meniscus in donors without clinically-evident knee arthritis, in relation to age and sex. Further, to investigate the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Design: Histological sections of knee cartilage and meniscus from 44 deceased donors (ages 18–85 years) without clinically-evident osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis were assessed for the level of degeneration using OARSI grades (cartilage) and modified Pauli scores (meniscus). We used Poisson regression models with robust standard errors to investigate the association of age and sex with grades/scores, and the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Results: Mean... (More)

Objectives: To assess level of degeneration in human knee cartilage and meniscus in donors without clinically-evident knee arthritis, in relation to age and sex. Further, to investigate the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Design: Histological sections of knee cartilage and meniscus from 44 deceased donors (ages 18–85 years) without clinically-evident osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis were assessed for the level of degeneration using OARSI grades (cartilage) and modified Pauli scores (meniscus). We used Poisson regression models with robust standard errors to investigate the association of age and sex with grades/scores, and the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Results: Mean [median] (standard deviation) OARSI grade and Pauli score were 2.2 [1.8] (1.2) and 8.2 [8] (2.5), respectively. The mean OARSI grade increased by a factor of 1.19 (95 % confidence interval 1.11 to 1.28) per 10 years of age, and the Pauli score by 1.10 (1.07–1.14). Males had on average 1.29 (0.99–1.69) higher OARSI grades than females, and 1.11 (0.96–1.28) higher Pauli scores. The crude association between Pauli score and OARSI grade was 1.12 (1.05–1.18), while the age and sex adjusted association was 1.06 (0.99–1.13). Conclusions: Tissue degeneration assessed by OARSI grades and modified Pauli scores increase with age in persons without clinically-evident knee arthritis. However, about half of the elderly donors show only mild degeneration. There was a small association between degeneration and male sex, for both tissues. Cartilage and meniscus degeneration within knees without clinically-evident arthritis were weakly associated.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aging, Cartilage, Degeneration, Histology, Knee, Meniscus
in
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
volume
8
issue
1
article number
100734
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:41536416
  • scopus:105025557158
ISSN
2665-9131
DOI
10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100734
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
id
3fdbfe26-13cc-491d-be2d-41e8ca0421a5
date added to LUP
2026-03-09 10:57:52
date last changed
2026-03-10 03:34:28
@article{3fdbfe26-13cc-491d-be2d-41e8ca0421a5,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: To assess level of degeneration in human knee cartilage and meniscus in donors without clinically-evident knee arthritis, in relation to age and sex. Further, to investigate the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Design: Histological sections of knee cartilage and meniscus from 44 deceased donors (ages 18–85 years) without clinically-evident osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis were assessed for the level of degeneration using OARSI grades (cartilage) and modified Pauli scores (meniscus). We used Poisson regression models with robust standard errors to investigate the association of age and sex with grades/scores, and the association between cartilage and meniscus degeneration. Results: Mean [median] (standard deviation) OARSI grade and Pauli score were 2.2 [1.8] (1.2) and 8.2 [8] (2.5), respectively. The mean OARSI grade increased by a factor of 1.19 (95 % confidence interval 1.11 to 1.28) per 10 years of age, and the Pauli score by 1.10 (1.07–1.14). Males had on average 1.29 (0.99–1.69) higher OARSI grades than females, and 1.11 (0.96–1.28) higher Pauli scores. The crude association between Pauli score and OARSI grade was 1.12 (1.05–1.18), while the age and sex adjusted association was 1.06 (0.99–1.13). Conclusions: Tissue degeneration assessed by OARSI grades and modified Pauli scores increase with age in persons without clinically-evident knee arthritis. However, about half of the elderly donors show only mild degeneration. There was a small association between degeneration and male sex, for both tissues. Cartilage and meniscus degeneration within knees without clinically-evident arthritis were weakly associated.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sjögren, Amanda and Bodahl, Sara and Hughes, Velocity and Turkiewicz, Aleksandra and Aspberg, Anders and Hellberg, Iida and Karjalainen, Ville Pauli and Ali, Neserin and Önnerfjord, Patrik and Englund, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2665-9131}},
  keywords     = {{Aging; Cartilage; Degeneration; Histology; Knee; Meniscus}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open}},
  title        = {{Histological analysis of age-related degeneration in human female and male knee cartilage and meniscus}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100734}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100734}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}