2025/03/25 by Haibo Zhao, Yizhi Yao, Fan Jiang +3
Medicine · #Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes #Knee injuries and reconstruction techniques #Sarcoma Diagnosis and Treatment
paper · doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2025.111040
Knee ligaments are important structures that determine the locomotor function of the knee. In this paper, we identified and analyzed the cell types and compositions of ligaments from different parts of the healthy knee joint. By single-cell sequencing of approximately 106,077 extracted cells, we established a comprehensive cellular profile of ligaments in other parts of the knee joints of 15 healthy subjects and explored the more critical heterogeneity of fibroblasts. Three subpopulations of fibroblasts that may be associated with knee ligament anatomy were identified and their differentiation relationships were revealed, and the FTH1/FTLSCARA5 signaling pathway that may be associated with knee ligament anatomical function was identified. This ligament atlas provides a molecular cytological basis for studying the physiological functions and properties of knee ligaments as well as the relationship between ligament structure and function at different sites. It offers certain clues for future studies of rated knee ligament diseases. • Human knee ligaments are mainly composed of fibroblasts, which determine the strength, function, and other properties of the ligaments. • Ligaments located in different parts of the knee joint have different proportions of constituent cells and functions. • Subpopulations of ligament fibroblasts located in different parts of the knee joint have different gene expression patterns. • Fibroblast mapping of healthy knee ligaments lays the foundation for future studies of knee ligament diseases. • The FTH1/FTLSCARA5 pathway may influence the proliferative activity of ligament fibroblasts by regulating their iron metabolism.