Biomechanics of Cartilage
Biomechanics of Cartilage
Biomechanics of Cartilage
STRUCTURE AND
COMPOSITION
OF ARTICULAR
CARTILAGE
Unlike most tissues, articular cartilage does not have blood vessels, nerves, or
lymphatics.
It is composed of a dense extracellular matrix (ECM) with a sparse distribution
of highly specialized cells called chondrocytes.
The ECM is principally composed of water, collagen, and proteoglycans, with
other non collagenous proteins and glycoproteins present in lesser amounts
EXTRACELLULAR
MATRIX
------------------------------------------------------------- superficial (tangential) zone protects deeper layers from shear stresses and makes up
approximately 10% to 20% of articular cartilage thickness.
Superficial
Zone
This zone is in contact with synovial fluid and is responsible for most of the tensile
properties of cartilage, which enable it to resist the sheer, tensile, and compressive forces
imposed by articulation.
Middle (transitional)
Zone
keratan sulfate
heparin
class
of
polysaccharides,
known
as
keratan
sulfate,
dermatan sulfate
heparin,
hyaluronate
Deep zone
The deep zone contains the largest diameter collagen fibrils in a radial disposition, the
highest proteoglycan content, and the lowest water concentration.
The calcified layer plays an integral role in securing the cartilage to bone, by anchoring
the collagen fibrils of the deep zone to subchondral bone. In this zone, the cell population
is scarce and chondrocytes are hypertrophic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chondrocytes are highly specialized, metabolically active cells that play a unique role in
Chondrocy
tes
Is the most abundant structural macromolecule in ECM, and it makes up about 60% of the dry weight of cartilage.
All members of the collagen family contain a region consisting of 3 polypeptide chains (-chains) wound into a
triple helix.
Collag
en
Type II collagen represents 90% to 95% of the collagen in ECM and forms fibrils and fibers intertwined with
proteoglycan aggregates. Collagen types I, IV, V, VI, IX, and XI are also present but contribute only a minor
proportion.
The amino acid composition of polypeptide chains is primarily glycine and proline, with hydroxyproline providing
Collagen structure
The second-largest group of macromolecules in the ECM and account for 10% to
Proteogly
cans
that possesses more than 100 chondroitin sulfate and keratin sulfate chains.
Aggrecan is characterized by its ability to interact with hyaluronan (HA) to form
Aggrecan
structure
Water
..
viscoelastic properties.
The biomechanical behavior of articular cartilage is best understood when the tissue is
Biomechanical function
Articular
Viscoelasticity
The flow-dependent mechanism depends on interstitial fluid and the frictional drag
associated with this flow.
The drag resulting from the interstitial fluid is known as biphasic viscoelastic
behavior.
cont
The intrinsic viscoelasticity of the solid matrix was also taken into account in the BPVE
theory. The nonlinear permeability, K, was assumed to depend on the applied
compressive volumetric strain.
where Ko and M are constants and e sis the volumetric strain of the solid phase. ko= 2.510^15m^4/Ns and M=10.
K as a function of porosity, we assumed for the porosity a linear variation with deformation
:=i+(1i), being i the initial porosity. Therefore, the Averaged Method assumes that Ko and M
co..
..
For the first few moments after the load is applied, a linear relation =t exists between the
deformation and the square root of time (t) where , for small strains, is:
Where h is the cartilage disk thickness. So the Initial Slope Method assumes that Ko and M are
related
through Eq. (above), where is determined by fitting with a line the first t points of the creep
response.
Points relative is considered approximately to the first 0.03 seconds.
reached.
Similarly, when cartilage is deformed and held at a constant strain, the stress
will rise to a peak, which will be followed by a slow stress-relaxation process
until an equilibrium value is reached.
With increasing age, there is a decrease in the hydration of the matrix, with a
corresponding increase in compressive stiffness.
The size of proteoglycan aggregates within the ECM decreases with age. This
may occur as a result of a decrease in the available binding sites of the HA chain
..
summar
y
..
---------END---------------------THANK YOU-----------