Characterization of In-Vivo Knee Joint Dynamic Function and Cartilage Behaviour

正常健康的关节软骨的功能是在关节表面之间分配力，并提供低摩擦运动。健康的软骨动态平衡是由组织不断调整其结构和生物以适应其机械环境的能力来维持的。去除关节负荷和过度负荷都会启动软骨的退变过程。据推测，保持软骨健康需要“最佳范围”的关节力学。然而，这一最佳体内负荷范围的大小和可变性尚未得到很好的确定。*长期研究计划的目标是(I)在健康的活体条件下增进对人类关节动力学和关节组织功能机制的理解，以及(Ii)开发和实施检测和监测这些机制在生命周期内的体内变化的技术。这项工作之所以重要，是因为缺乏工具和技术来详细了解有助于维持健康的人类关节软骨组成和动态功能的因素。*具体目标集中在开发新的方法和确定：i)体内动态膝关节稳定性和单腿下蹲或摆动时的神经肌肉控制，ii)膝盖骨、股骨和胫骨软骨的负荷恢复响应，以及iii)行走过程中关节接触负荷、一致性和软骨表面接触运动学之间的关系。对软骨成分(T2值)、关节一致性和性别的关系进行了评估。*这项工作将利用该小组独特的和国际领先的能力，为非侵入性确定健康的活体膝关节力学提供新的方法。这项研究计划是首批研究健康膝关节力学和功能的项目之一，旨在对与体内人类动态关节运动、力、软骨接触、肌肉激活和关节形态有关的因素产生重要的见解。将在生物力学、图像重建、关节建模和稳定性分析方面发展先进的知识和技术。学生将接受跨学科领域的培训，重点是批判性思维、背景知识和实用技能工程和科学，如器械、医学成像、生物力学和计算建模。*将组织表征与动态关节功能评估联系起来，为正在开发的关节健康表征工具包提供进一步的技术。提供有关关节生物力学在维持健康软骨内稳态方面的作用的见解，将使人们能够提出明智的建议，以维持整个生命周期的软骨健康，改进关节置换生物材料，并加快疾病诊断工具和康复方案的开发。

Normal healthy articular cartilage functions to distribute forces between joint surfaces and provide low friction movement. Healthy cartilage homeostasis is maintained by the tissue's ability to continuously adapt its structure and biology to its mechanical environment. Both removal of joint loading and excessive loading initiate degenerative processes in cartilage. Maintaining cartilage health is speculated to require an “optimal range” of joint mechanics. However, the magnitude and variability of this optimal in-vivo loading range across individuals is not well established. ******The long-term research program objectives are to (i) advance understanding of mechanisms of human joint dynamics and joint tissue function in healthy in-vivo conditions, and (ii) develop and implement techniques for detecting and monitoring in-vivo changes in these mechanisms over the lifespan. This work is important because there is a lack of tools and techniques to enable detailed understanding of factors contributing to maintaining healthy human joint cartilage composition and dynamic function. ***Specific goals focus on developing new methodologies and determining: i) in-vivo dynamic knee joint stability and neuromouscular control during a single leg squat or swing, ii) load recovery response in patellar, femoral and tibial cartilage, and iii) relations amongst joint contact load, congruence and cartilage surface contact kinematics during walking. Relations to cartilage composition (T2 values) and joint congruence and sex are assessed. ******This work will use the unique and internationally leading capabilities of this group to provide novel approaches for the non-invasive determination of healthy in-vivo knee joint mechanics. This research program is one of the first to address healthy knee joint mechanics and function to yield important insights into factors involved with in-vivo human dynamic joint movements, forces, cartilage contact, muscular activations, and joint morphology. Advanced knowledge and technology will be developed in biomechanics, image reconstruction, joint modeling, and stability analyses. Students will be trained in interdisciplinary fields with a focus on critical thinking, background knowledge and practical skills engineering and science such as instrumentation, medical imaging, biomechanics, and computational modelling.******Linking tissue characterization with dynamic joint function assessment provides further technologies within the joint health characterization toolkit under development. Providing insights into the role of joint biomechanics in maintaining healthy cartilage homeostasis will enable informed recommendations to maintain cartilage health across the lifespan, improve joint replacement biomaterials, and accelerate development of diagnostic tools for disease conditions and rehabilitation protocols.