Conclusion: This report indicates for the first time that FM-null mice have a higher propensity towards degenerative changes in their knee joints than comparable WT animals. Interestingly, no underlying ultrastructural or fibril abnormalities within the articular cartilage could be identified to explain why FM-null cartilage is more prone to pathological changes than wild-type tissue. We conclude that alterations in ligaments, and possibly other tissues within the knee, are of considerable importance in the pathogenesis of the observed articular cartilage degeneration
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