Interfacial phenomena in cartilage biomechanics: focal points of mechanobiology and targets for clinical diagnostics

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Articular cartilage covers the ends of bones in joints (e.g. knees, hips, shoulders). Following injury, it often does not heal well: cartilage degeneration is a major component of osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. The tissue is composed primarily of a specialized extracellular matrix which is essentially a gel carrying a large electrical charge density. This imbues cartilage with a range of transport, mechanical and electrokinetic properties which, if thoroughly understood and accurately measured, may be exploited for early detection of disease. Consider the following: (1) Solute transport through cartilage underlies tissue physiology and the distribution of contrast agents used for clinical imaging. (2) Matrix deformations during mechanical compression provide fundamental insights into cartilage structure and function. (3) Fluid flows in cartilage induce electrokinetic phenomena which show great promise for mapping of tissue quality noninvasively.