AA	ascorbic acid
AbAm	antibiotic antimycotic
ACAN	aggrecan
ALP	alkaline phosphatase
Akt = PKB	protein kinase B; collective name of a set of three serine/threonine-specific protein kinases
ASCs	adipose-derived stem cells, adipose tissue-derived stromal cells
α-MEM	α-MEM medium
BAD	cell death protein
BAPN	beta-aminopropionitrile
BCL-2	antagonist of cell death BAD
bFGF	basic fibroblast growth factor
BGN	biglycan
BMP	bone morphogenetic protein
BMP-12 = GDF-7	growth and differentiation factor-7
BMP-13 = GDF-6	growth and differentiation factor-6
BMP-14 = GDF-5	growth and differentiation factor-5
BMSC	bone marrow-derived stromal cells
BSA	bovine serum albumin
CG	collagen-glycosaminoglycan
CM	Conditioned media
col I	collagen I protein
col III	collagen III protein
COL1A1	collagen 1A1 gene
COL3A1	collagen 3A1 gene
COMP	cartilage oligomeric matrix protein
CSA	cross-sectional area
CTGF	connective tissue growth factor
dACM	dehydrated amnion/chorion membrane
DCN	Decorin
dePRF	denatured PRF = denatured platelet rich fibrin
DMEM	Dubelco’s modified Eagle Medium
DNA	desoxy ribonucleic acid
ECM	Extracellular matrix
EGF	epidermal growth factor
EGR 1	early growth response protein 1
FBS	fetal bovine serum
FCS	fetal calf serum
FGF	fibroblast growth factors
FOXO	forkhead box transcription factor
FSR	fractional synthesis rates
GAG	glycosaminoglycan
GDF	growth and differentiation factor
GH	growth hormone
Grb2	growth factor receptor-bound protein 2, an adapter protein
GTPase Ras	small GTPase (hydrolase enzymes for guanosine triphosphate)
Ham’s F12	Ham’s F12 cell culture medium
H&E	Hematoxylin&Eosin
HSAM	hypothermically stored amniotic membrane
HSR	heavy slow resistance
IGF	insulin-like growth factor
IGFBP	insulin-like growth factor binding protein
IGF-1Ea	insulin-like growth factor isoform Ea
IGF-1Eb	insulin-like growth factor isoform Eb
IGF-1Ec	insulin-like growth factor isoform Ec
IGF1R	insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor
IP3	inositol trisphosphate
IRS=	insulin receptor substrates
LLLT	low-level laser therapy
LR3-IGF-1	variant form of IGF-1 which binds with low affinity to circulating binding proteins
m	mimic
M-199	name of medium Mki67, proliferation Marker Ki67
MAPK	mitogen-activated protein kinase
MGF	mechano growth factor = insulin-like growth factor isoform Ec
Mki67	proliferation Marker Ki67
MKX	Mohawk
mRNA	messenger ribonucleic acid
MSC	mesenchymal stem cells
mTOR	mammalian target of Rapamycin
mTORC2	mammalian target of Rapamycin Complex 2
MTT	3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide…
OD	optical density
ON	Osteonectin
p85	regulatory subunit of PI3K
PDGF-BB	platelet-derived growth factor-BB
PDK1	Phosphoinositide-dependent Kinase-1
PEG-IGF-1m	pegylated IGF-1 mimic
PI3K	phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase
PINP	procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide
PIP2	phosphatidylinositol diphosphate
PIP3	phosphatidylinositol triphosphate
PLC	phospholipase C
PRF	platelet rich fibrin
PRP	platelet rich plasma
Raf	best characterized Ras effector
Ras	small GTPase
rhGH	recombinant human growth factors
rhIGF-1	recombinant human IGF-1
RTKs	receptor tyrosine kinases
RUNX	runt-related transcription factor
SCX	Scleraxis
SDF-1	stromal cell-derived factor 1
Sos	guanine nucleotide
SOX9	SRY-box transcription factor 9
SVF	stromal vascular fraction
TGFβ	transforming growth factor β
TGFβ1	transforming growth factor β1
TGFβ2	transforming growth factor β2
TGFβ3	transforming growth factor β3
TIF	tendon internal fibroblasts
TNC	Tenascin-C
TNMD	Tenomodulin
TSC	tendon-derived stem cells
VEGF	vascular endothelial growth factor
VISA-P	Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella