Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disorder with cartilage degradation as the primary cause of joint pain and loss of joint function. B-cell lymphoma-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) is a key regulator of apoptosis and serves as a signal transducer of the NFκB and Hif-1α pathways, both of which are involved in osteoarthritic cartilage degradation. However, whether BCLAF1 contributes to the pathogenesis of OA remains unclear. The present study aims to elucidate the role of BCLAF1 in osteoarthritic cartilage degradation and the underlying mechanisms. We found that BCLAF1 levels were increased in cartilage tissue from OA patients, elder and surgery-induced OA mice, and primary chondrocytes treated with inflammatory cytokines. Knockdown of