Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage, subchondral bone remodeling, bone flab formation, and synovial inflammation. In contrast, traumatic arthritis is the most common and typical secondary arthritis. Several in vitro and in vivo experiments have now found that periosteal protein expression is increased in the cartilage matrix after injury and leads to the development and progression of traumatic arthritis. As an extracellular matrix protein, periostin can interact with the cartilage extracellular matrix and act as an upstream factor of multiple signaling pathways affecting the metabolism of the cartilage extracellular matrix. In contrast to primary osteoarthritis, the nature and timing of traumatic arthritis is usually known, thus providing a unique window to intervene in the disease. However, current surgical treatment has not reduced the incidence of traumatic arthritis. Therefore, an in-depth study of the mechanisms of the role of periosteal proteins in the development of traumatic arthritis could help provide new approaches to the treatment of traumatic arthritis.