Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint disease characterized by the degradation of cartilage, remodeling of subchondral bone, and inflammation of synovial tissue, posing growing global health challenges. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in various physiological and pathological processes associated with OA, including extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, synovial inflammation, chondrocyte apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Chondrogenesis involves mesenchymal cell condensation followed by differentiation into chondrocytes, hypertrophy of chondrocytes, and subsequent maturation. This review aims to provide an updated overview of lncRNAs and their involvement in cartilage development as well as OA. Furthermore, we discuss the potential utility of lncRNAs as molecular biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment of OA.