Synovitis of knee joint fat pads is correlated with inflammatory synovial cytokine profile and may have a potential role in the development of posttraumatic OA following ACL injury

Purpose: Acute trauma of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is considered a major risk factor for the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA). This is mainly believed to result from a cascade of biomechanical and biochemical changes following ACL injury. In particular, sustained intraarticular inflammation is suggested to activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that digest collagen and proteoglycan components of the cartilage...