Oxygen and reactive oxygen species in cartilage degradation: friends or foes?

This paper is an overview of the in vitro and in vivo studies published on the influence of oxygen and derived reactive species on chondrocyte aging, metabolic function, and the chondrogenic phenotype. It shows, that oxygen and ROS play a crucial role in the control of cartilage homeostasis and that at this time, the exact role of “oxidative stress” in cartilage degradation still remains questionable.