Table 1. Sequences of the used primers and their references.

Name	Sequence (F: forward / R: reverse)	PCR-Product size [base pairs]	Author
Collagen 1A1	F: CCAACAAGGCCAAGAAGAAG	64	Gredes et al.
	R: ATGGTACCTGAGGCCGTTCT		2007 [37]
Collagen 2	F: CACGGATGGTCCCAAAGG	102	Steck et al.
	R: ATACCAGCAGCTCCCCTCT		2009 [38]
Aggrecan	F: TTCCCTGAGGCCGAGAAC	194	Zou et al.
	R: GGGCGGTAATGGAACACAAC		2008 [39]
Interleukin 1ß	F: CAGCCATGGCCATAGTACCT	216	Tayade et al.
	R: CCACGATGACAGACACCATC		2006 [40]
MMP 1	F: TCAGTTCGTCCTCACTCCAG	321	Le Graverend et al.
	R: TTGGTCCACCTGTCATCTTC		2002 [41]
MMP 3	F: AATGATCACTTTTGCAGTTCGAGAA	76	Zeni et al.
	R: GGCATGAGCCAAAACTTTTCC		2007 [42]
MMP 13	F: TTGATGATGATGAAACCTGGA	69	Gredes et al.
	R: ACTCATGGGCAGCAACAAG		2007 [37]
VEGF	F: GAGACCAGAAACCCCACGAA	138	Zhou et al.
	R: GCACACAGGACGGCTTGAA		2009 [43]
ADAMTS-4	F: CAGGGTCCCATGTGCAACGT	115	Huang et al.
	R: CATCTGCCACCACCAGGGTCT		2011 [44]
ADAMTS-5	F: TTCGACATCAAGCCATGGCAACTG	197	Huang et al.
	R: AAGATTTACCATTAGCCGGGCGG		2011 [44]
ß-actin	F: CAAGGAGAAGCTCTGCTACG	245	Steck et al.
	R: AGAGGTCCTTCCTGATGTCC		2009 [38]