Cartilage Formation Trajectories From Newborns To Adult Life Reveal A Low Repair Endotype Of Oa Patients, As Quantified By Type Ii Collagen Formation

Purpose: Type II collagen is the main structural protein of cartilage. The pro-peptide of type II collagen can be quantified as a biomarker of cartilage formation by the assay PRO-C2. Previous studies have shown that low levels of blood PRO-C2 are prognostic of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Furthermore, patients with low serum levels of PRO-C2 were more likely to respond to Sprifermin, a recombinant FGF18 analog, compared to patients with high levels of PRO-C2. Articular cartilage is an avascular, aneural, and alymphatic connective tissue with a limited capacity for self-repair. Although cartilage attempts to restore in OA, damaged cartilage has a poor capacity for regeneration. In the current study, we investigated if low cartilage formation assessed by serum PRO-C2 is associated with low repair capacity of cartilage.