Icariin Reduces Cartilage Degeneration in a Mouse Model of Osteoarthritis and is Associated with the Changes in Expression of Indian Hedgehog and Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the role of icariin, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine extracted from Epimedium, in osteoarthritis (OA), using the murine anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT)-induced model of OA and micromass culture of murine chondrocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four three-month-old C57/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: the sham group (no surgery and joint injection with normal...