Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common age-related degenerative joint disorder. It is considered a disease of the entire joint, which is not simply a result of attrition but rather abnormal remodelling and coalescent failure of multiple tissues. Despite the prevalence of OA, therapeutic strategies are currently limited to the treatment of pain and inflammation. New disease-modifying agents that slow progression and diagnostic biomarkers are urgently required. Given the lack of treatment options to repair degradation of articular cartilage, anti-resorptive agents and anabolics, such as bisphosphonates, are candidate treatments for OA (Karsdal et al., 2014). An optimal treatment for OA will likely target at least two joint tissues, yet the factors that govern the bone-cartilage interactions during pathogenesis remain largely unknown.