Synovial inflammation plays a greater role in post-traumatic osteoarthritis compared to idiopathic osteoarthritis in the Hartley guinea pig knee

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent of stromal cell-derived factor-1’s (SDF-1) involvement in the pathogenesis of idiopathic versus post-traumatic OA by comparing differences in synovial membrane morphology, SDF-1 synovial fluid (SF) concentrations, and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) SF concentrations. METHODS: Thirty-six 3-month-old Hartley guinea pigs were obtained and divided into 6 groups. Upon sacrifice, India Ink staining was used to evaluate gross morphology, Safranin O/Fast green staining was used to assess cartilage damage, H/E staining was employed to visualize the synovium, and SF samples were obtained for biochemical analyses. Sandwich ELISA was used to quantify the SF concentrations of SDF-1 and MMP-13. RESULTS: 12 month-old, idiopathic OA guinea pigs and 5.5 month-old ACLT animals had comparable cartilage damage when evaluated by the Modified Mankin Score. SDF-1 and MMP-13 concentrations were not statistically different between the two groups. The synovial membrane of the 5.5 month ACLT group had severe synovitis compared to the idiopathic OA group. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was found that synovial inflammation, independent of cartilage morphology, SDF-1 concentration, and MMP-13 concentration, was markedly different between idiopathic and post-traumatic OA. These results highlight the differing morphological and biochemical profiles of post-traumatic versus idiopathic osteoarthritis and calls for a more thorough examination of the sole of the synovial membrane in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.