Adiponectin is an adipokine. With the deepening research on the molecule, it is found to play an important role as a part of the inflammatory response in a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, vascular endothelial dysfunction, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and rheumatic diseases. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease in the elderly, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. In this paper, we reviewed the concentration of adiponectin in OA patients, and the relationships of adiponectin with its receptor, with OA, and with pain in the patients, in order to provide help for further study on the molecule and OA.