Since fullerenes and its representative were discovered, they have been widely used in biomedical research with their unique structure and incomparable physical and chemical properties. The biological characteristics of fullerenes are mainly reflected in the adsorption and removal of free radicals and strong anti-oxidation, which are praised as "free radical sponges" . Many studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS), as the main reason for oxidative stress in the body, regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and other cellular functions. In the field of orthopaedics, ROS is closely associated with physiological changes and mechanisms of disease progression such as cell osteogenic differentiation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, osteoporosis, and intervertebral disc degeneration. Fullerenes and their derivatives are used to influence ROS levels to regulate signaling pathways of inflammatory cytokines and cell osteogenesis or adipogenesis, thereby, achieving different biological objectives. In this paper, through literature review, we summarize the research progress about fullerene C₆₀ and its derivatives in bone tissue engineering stem cells, nonsuppurative arthritis, bone destruction, intervertebral disc degeneration and induced low back pain from the physical and disease generation mechanism, and hope to provide new ideas for the treatment of these diseases and new potential avenues for other orthopedic diseases.

Fullerene; Antioxidant; Reactive oxygen species; Orthopedics