Knee cartilage defects: association with early radiographic osteoarthritis, decreased cartilage volume, increased joint surface area and type II collagen breakdown

Osteophytes and increasing knee bone size may be causally related to knee cartilage defects. Furthermore, knee cartilage defects may result in increased cartilage breakdown leading to decreased cartilage volume and joint space narrowing suggesting an important role for knee cartilage defects in early knee OA.