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. 2018 Jul 29;597(5):1271–1281. doi: 10.1113/JP275451

Table 1.

Causes of thinning of the articular cartilage

Cause Mechanism Reversible?
Osteoarthritis Proteolytic degradation of matrix No, except by regeneration
Atrophy Reduced synthesis of proteoglycan; a mechanoadaptive response to reduced load Yes, weeks–months
Cartilage compression Water extrusion from matrix due to compression Yes, minutes–hours
Apparent reduction in joint space (‘pseudo thinning’) Migration of tidemark or meniscal extrusion Unknown