Infrapatellar Fat Pad: Fundamental Role in Osteoarthritis Literature Review
Main Author: Suad Hannawi
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Emirates Health Services
Background:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and it is the second on the list of chronic diseases after Migraine. OA is characterized by articular degradation, synovial inflammation, ligament degeneration, and bone and muscle alteration. Infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) had been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of OA. This paper summarizes the role of the IPFP in the development and progression of OA.
Method(s):
It is a literature review with keywords, infrapatellar fat pad, intra-articular adipose tissue, knee, cytokine, adipokine, cartilage, inflammation, and osteoarthritis.
Result(s):
The infra-patellar fat pad is a peri-articular structure of the knee joint and it contributes to OA initiation and progression through a different mechanism including the production of adipokines, cytokines, growth factors and interleukins, activation of different immune cells and inflammatory responses, and, inflammatory response provocation by nociceptive nerve fibers that secrete substance-P. The extensive innervations of the IPFP contribute to anterior knee pain even in absence of osteoarthritis.
Conclusion(s):
IPFP is an osteoarthritic joint tissue capable of modulating inflammatory and destructive changes in OA.
