The role of vascular endothelial growth factor in osteoarthritis: a review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of joint disease, with a high prevalence in the elderly. Its primary clinical symptoms are joint pain and restricted movement, with main pathologies of synovitis, cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is expressed in articular cartilage and increases in expression levels have been associated with progression of OA. Moreover, VEGF has been found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of OA of synovitis, cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. The aim of this article was to examine the role of VEGF in OA and related studies.