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、蛋白多糖聚集体和水。关节的 软骨是所有滑膜的承重面。 关节。骨性关节炎的发病过程涉及 承重关节软骨退变。最早的 这种疾病的表现导致密度和密度的变化 钠离子的迁移率以及蛋白多糖含量的损失 细胞外基质。一般而言，力学行为有一个 在滑膜关节的功能中起重要作用。这种现象是 在软骨细胞所涉及的生理过程中起重要作用 骨关节炎的营养、关节润滑和病因学。这个 这项研究的目的是确定粘弹性 关节软骨在压力和应变下的响应 使用非侵入性磁共振技术接近生理范围 使用专门设计的压力计。最初，我们有 对一系列正常牛标本进行了测量，包括 以及酶降解的物种。我们的初步数据 表明关节软骨受压至少两次 常量，这与直觉概念一致，即 力学性能是不均匀的。事实上，我们正在扩展 所有这些无创性磁共振技术都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.