Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases seen in clinical practice. Cartilage survives in the hypoxic microenvironment. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key nuclear transcription factor which mediates the hypoxic response of cells. HIF-1α gene is an important regulator for the adaptation of articular cartilage to the hypoxic environment. It is important for formation of articular cartilage, energy metabolism and matrix synthesis. If the HIF-1α gene is knocked out, the cartilage can not maintain their normal morphology and function, which may lead to cartilage degeneration, and result in diseases such as osteoarthritis. Chinese herbal medicines can regulate the expression of HIF-1α gene and supply a therapy method for osteoarthritis. In this paper, the authors review the situation of the correlation between HIF-1α and osteoarthritis cartilage degeneration examined in recent years.

Key words: osteoarthritis, cartilage degeneration, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, review