Poroelasticity and lubrication mechanisms of cartilage in natural synovial joints

在最近的润滑机制的理解在自然滑膜关节仍然不确定如何超低摩擦是产生的。这种超低摩擦有助于高负荷、动态冲击响应和最小磨损损伤，因此软骨材料具有孔隙弹性，并且在操作过程中流体可以进出接触界面。受生物学的启发，工程师们的目标是设计多孔弹性轴承，通过流体流入和流出接触材料来增强润滑。这是一项工程挑战，了解天然滑膜关节中孔隙弹性和润滑的结合，这激发了该项目的灵感，旨在开发一种通过设计获得超低摩擦接触的方法。在项目过程中，需要克服一系列建模挑战，包括各向异性材料特性、剪切稀化流体、粘弹性固体和润滑膜。成像技术将用于创建具有代表性的几何形状和开源软件，以允许广泛传播研究。所得模型将用于实验验证，该实验验证同时正在由本项目所属的研究小组进行检查。最终，这将允许工程师探索孔隙弹性改善承载性能的条件范围，研究软骨损伤及其与疼痛的联系，并确定软物质孔隙弹性连续体方法的极限。

In the most recent understanding of the lubrication mechanisms in natural synovial joints it remains uncertain as to how ultra-low friction is generated. This ultra-low friction facilitates high loading, dynamic shock response and minimal wear damage, whereby the cartilage material is poroelastic and fluid flows to and from the contacting interface during operation. Inspired by biology, engineers aim to design poroelastic bearings in which lubrication is boosted by the flow of fluid into and out of the contacting materials. It is this engineering challenge, to understand the combination of poroelasticity and lubrication in natural synovial joints, which inspires this project with the aim of developing a means by which ultra-low friction in contacts can be obtained by design.There will be a range of modelling challenges to overcome during the project including anisotropic material properties, shear-thinning fluids, viscoelastic solids and lubricating films. Imaging techniques will be used to create representative geometries and open source software implemented to allow wide dissemination of the research. The models derived will feed into experimental validation which is concurrently being examined by the research team that this project is a part of. Ultimately this will allow engineers to explore the range of conditions under which poroelasticity improves bearing performance, investigate damage in cartilage and the link this has to pain and determine the limits of the continuum approach to poroelasticity in soft matter.