<?xml version="1.1" encoding="utf-8"?>
<article xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.1/xsd/JATS-journalpublishing1-mathml3.xsd" dtd-version="1.1" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">BAS</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Bone and Arthrosurgery Science</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn>3083-4856</issn><eissn>2981-8222</eissn><publisher><publisher-name>Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.26689/bas.v4i2.14128</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title>Research Progress on Subchondral Bone Lesions in Knee Osteoarthritis</title><url>https://artdesignp.com/journal/BAS/4/2/10.26689/bas.v4i2.14128</url><author>LiYunlong,SuXiaoqiang</author><pub-date pub-type="publication-year"><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>4</volume><issue>2</issue><history><date date-type="pub"><published-time>2026-05-14</published-time></date></history><abstract>This article reviews the research on subchondral bone lesions in knee osteoarthritis. Subchondral bone is closely related to articular cartilage in terms of embryonic development and anatomical structure, and the two form bone-cartilage units. These units interact and crosstalk with each other in biomechanics and molecular biology. Subchondral bone lesions include various pathological forms. There are certain research prospects for the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis targeting the subchondral bone.</abstract><keywords/></article-meta></front><body/><back><ref-list><ref id="B1" content-type="article"><label>1</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Sharma L, 2021, Osteoarthritis of the Knee. N Engl J Med, 384(1): 51–59.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B2" content-type="article"><label>2</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Helmick CG, Felson DT, Lawrence RC, et al., 2008, Estimates of the Prevalence of Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Conditions in the United States. Part I. Arthritis Rheum, 58(1): 15–25.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B3" content-type="article"><label>3</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Gelber AC, 2024, Knee Osteoarthritis. Ann Intern Med, 177(9): Itc129–itc144.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B4" content-type="article"><label>4</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Kasaeian A, Roemer FW, Ghotbi E, et al., 2023, Subchondral Bone in Knee Osteoarthritis: Bystander or Treatment Target? Skeletal Radiol, 52(11): 2069–2083.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B5" content-type="article"><label>5</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Sasano Y, Mizoguchi I, Kagayama M, et al., 1992, Distribution of Type I Collagen, Type II Collagen and PNA Binding Glycoconjugates During Chondrogenesis of Three Distinct Embryonic Cartilages. Anat Embryol (Berl), 186(3): 205–213.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B6" content-type="article"><label>6</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Hoemann CD, Lafantaisie-Favreau CH, Lascau-Coman V, et al., 2012, The Cartilage-Bone Interface. J Knee Surg, 25(2): 85–97.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B7" content-type="article"><label>7</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Walsh DA, McWilliams DF, Turley MJ, et al., 2010, Angiogenesis and Nerve Growth Factor at the Osteochondral Junction in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford), 49(10): 1852–1861.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B8" content-type="article"><label>8</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Pan J, Wang B, Li W, et al., 2012, Elevated Cross-Talk Between Subchondral Bone and Cartilage in Osteoarthritic Joints. Bone, 51(2): 212–217.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B9" content-type="article"><label>9</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Goldring MB, Goldring SR, 2010, Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone in the Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1192: 230–237.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B10" content-type="article"><label>10</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhu S, Zhu J, Zhen G, et al., 2019, Subchondral Bone Osteoclasts Induce Sensory Innervation and Osteoarthritis Pain. J Clin Invest, 129(3): 1076–1093.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B11" content-type="article"><label>11</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jiang W, Jin Y, Zhang S, et al., 2022, PGE2 Activates EP4 in Subchondral Bone Osteoclasts to Regulate Osteoarthritis. Bone Res, 10(1): 27.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B12" content-type="article"><label>12</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhu J, Zhu Y, Xiao W, et al., 2020, Instability and Excessive Mechanical Loading Mediate Subchondral Bone Changes to Induce Osteoarthritis. Ann Transl Med, 8(6): 350.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B13" content-type="article"><label>13</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>She G, Zhou Z, Zha Z, et al., 2017, Protective Effect of Zoledronic Acid on Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone of Rabbits with Experimental Knee Osteoarthritis. Exp Ther Med, 14(5): 4901–4909.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B14" content-type="article"><label>14</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ealahi T, Azad MAK, Islam MN, et al., 2025, Zoledronic Acid in the Treatment of Primary Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Cureus, 17(5): e85087.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B15" content-type="article"><label>15</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Mohan G, Perilli E, Parkinson IH, et al., 2013, Pre-Emptive, Early, and Delayed Alendronate Treatment in a Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis: Effect on Subchondral Trabecular Bone Microarchitecture and Cartilage Degradation of the Tibia, Bone/Cartilage Turnover, and Joint Discomfort. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 21(10): 1595–1604.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B16" content-type="article"><label>16</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ren P, Niu H, Cen H, et al., 2021, Biochemical and Morphological Abnormalities of Subchondral Bone and Their Association with Cartilage Degeneration in Spontaneous Osteoarthritis. Calcif Tissue Int, 109(2): 179–189.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B17" content-type="article"><label>17</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Meng Z, Xin L, Fan B, 2023, SDF-1α Promotes Subchondral Bone Sclerosis and Aggravates Osteoarthritis by Regulating the Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 24(1): 275.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B18" content-type="article"><label>18</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhao W, Wang T, Luo Q, et al., 2016, Cartilage Degeneration and Excessive Subchondral Bone Formation in Spontaneous Osteoarthritis Involves Altered TGF-β Signaling. J Orthop Res, 34(5): 763–770.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B19" content-type="article"><label>19</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Kanemitsu M, Nakasa T, Shirakawa Y, et al., 2020, Role of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in the Progression of Osteoarthritis Through Bone Sclerosis and Angiogenesis in Subchondral Bone. J Orthop Sci, 25(5): 897–906.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B20" content-type="article"><label>20</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Feng XF, Zhang RK, Qi WZ, et al., 2019, Metformin Intervenes in Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Changes in the Early Stage of Osteoarthritis in a Mouse Model of Osteoarthritis. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 23(19): 3031–3036.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B21" content-type="article"><label>21</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Li X, Sun Y, Zhou Z, et al., 2019, Mitigation of Articular Cartilage Degeneration and Subchondral Bone Sclerosis in Osteoarthritis Progression Using Low-Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation. Ultrasound Med Biol, 45(1): 148–159.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B22" content-type="article"><label>22</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Xu L, Hayashi D, Roemer FW, et al., 2012, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Subchondral Bone Marrow Lesions in Association with Osteoarthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum, 42(2): 105–118.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B23" content-type="article"><label>23</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Moradi K, Mohammadi S, Roemer FW, et al., 2024, Progression of Bone Marrow Lesions and the Development of Knee Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis Initiative Data. Radiology, 312(3): e240470.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B24" content-type="article"><label>24</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Scher C, Craig J, Nelson F, 2008, Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee in Osteoarthrosis and Association with Total Knee Arthroplasty within a Three-Year Follow-Up. Skeletal Radiology, 37(7): 609–617.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B25" content-type="article"><label>25</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Varenna M, Zucchi F, Failoni S, et al., 2015, Intravenous Neridronate in the Treatment of Acute Painful Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Study. Rheumatology (Oxford), 54(10): 1826–1832.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref></ref-list></back></article>
