3D OF PATELLAR CARTILAGE & THICKNESS RECOVERY KINETICS AFTER IN VIVO COMPRESSION

关节软骨是一种结缔组织，主要由 胶原纤维束、蛋白聚糖聚集体和水。 关节 软骨作为所有滑膜的承重表面， 接头. 骨关节炎的疾病过程涉及 承重关节软骨退化。 最早的 这种疾病的表现引起密度的变化， 钠离子的流动性以及蛋白聚糖含量的损失， 细胞外基质 一般来说，机械性能具有 在滑膜关节功能中的重要作用。 这种现象 重要的生理过程中参与软骨细胞 营养、关节润滑和骨关节炎的病因。 的 本研究的目的是确定粘弹性 关节软骨对压力和应变的反应 接近生理范围，使用非侵入性MR技术， 使用一个特别设计的压力单元。 最初我们有 对一系列正常牛标本进行了测量， 以及酶降解的物种。 我们的原始数据 表明关节软骨压缩至少两次 常数，这与直观的概念是一致的， 机械性能是不均匀的。 事实上，我们正在扩大 所有这些非侵入性的MR技术，在体内和进一步的研究 正在进行中。

Articular Cartilage is a connective tissue primarily composed of collagen fiber bundles , proteoglycan aggregates and water. Articular cartilage functions as the load bearing surface of all synovial joints. The disease process of osteoarthritis involves the degeneration of load bearing articular cartilage. The earliest manifestations of this disease induce changes in the density and mobility of the sodium ions as well as loss of proteoglycan content in the extra-cellular matrix. In general, mechanical behaviour has an important role in the function of synovial joints. This phenomenon is important in the physiological processes involved in chondrocyte nutrition, joint lubrication and etiology of osteoarthritis. The object of this investigation is to determine the visco-elastic response of articular cartilage subjected to pressures and strains close to physiological range using non-invasive MR techniques that employ a specially designed pressure cell. Initially we have conducted the measurements on series of normal bovine specimens as well as enzymatically degraded speciemns. Our priliminary data indicate that articular cartilage compresses with at least two time constants, which is consistent with the intuitive notion that the mechanical properties are non -homogeneous. In fact, we are extending all these non-invasive MR techniques to in vivo and further studies are in progress.