The general overall composition of adult articular cartilage. The majority of this cartilage is composed of water bonded to proteoglycans and extracellular matrix. Only chondrocytes can repair damaged cartilage. However, their low numbers and difficulty in migrating to where they are needed do not allow articular cartilage to be easily regenerated.In the articular cartilage structure, there is an articular surface acting as the outermost layer followed by four main zones. They are distinguished based on the shape of the chondrocytes, the composition of the extracellular matrix, and the orientation of the type II collagen fibers. The thinnest layer is the superficial or tangential zone (10–20%), which protects deeper layers from potential damage caused by articulation and is in direct contact with synovial fluid. Often abbreviated as the STZ, the superficial zone is aligned parallel to the articular surface, is tightly packed, and is composed mainly of Type II and IX collagen. Chondrocytes in the STZ are relatively flat. Directly under the STZ is an intermediate or middle zone, which is the thickest layer (40–60%). The function of this layer is to resist moderate compression. Therefore, it has thick fibrils of collagen that are neither perpendicular nor parallel, but are slanted, and it also contains water bonded to proteoglycans, which help to resist compressive forces. The chondrocytes in the middle zone are characterized by their low density and spherical shape. Directly under the middle zone is the deep or basal zone (30–40%), which has the highest resistance to compression. This resistance to compression comes from radially arranged thick collagen fibrils that are arranged perpendicularly to the articular surface. This zone has many proteoglycans but very little water. The chondrocytes in this layer are arranged parallel to the collagen fibers and are columnar. Under the deep zone is a tidal mark that separates it from the calcified zone. The main job of the calcified zone is to attach the cartilage to the bone. In this layer, there are very few chondrocytes and the few that reside there are hypertrophic [,]. illustrates the structure of healthy articular cartilage as described above, and summarizes the characteristics of the chondrocytes and collagen fibers, along with the main functions of each zone. , A survey of the literature was performed in order to determine the current state of stem cell technology being used in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Then, the stem cell technology was compared with traditional treatment options. Keywords: mesenchymal stem cells, arthritis, tissue regeneration, canine animal models. 1., Arthritis involves joint degeneration due to loss of the cartilage that cushions bones. Recently researchers have begun to look to stem cells for orthopedic conditions such as shoulder arthritis. Progress using stem cells to treat arthritis already has been reported, with the ultimate goal of using stem cells to regrow cartilage..