This article shows that deleting CCL2 or neutralizing CCR2 is sufficient to diminish the effect of mechanical strain on the onset of arthritis, showing that the link between mechanical strain and the onset of arthritis appears to depend on the local recruitment of Ly6high inflammatory monocytes elicited by mechanostress-induced chemokine induction such as CCL2 in resident mesenchymal cells. Here, CCR2 is linked to arthritic joint disease.