Abstract:Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease based on joint degeneration or aging, with joint swelling, pain or dysfunction as the main clinical manifestations, and is one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide; however, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. It has been found that the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) is elevated in human osteoarthritis, and Runx2, as a major transcription factor regulating osteoblast differentiation, cartilage and bone development, interacts with different joint tissues during the progression of osteoarthritis, such as articular chondrocytes, synovial cells, subchondral bone and its meniscus, through both from the tissue and its molecular level. Runx2 also regulates the expression of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes, leading to an imbalance in the homeostasis of extracellular matrix synthesis and catabolism in articular cartilage, and plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis.