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。健康的软骨体内平衡是通过组织不断调整其结构和生物适应其机械环境的能力来维持的。关节负荷的去除和过度负荷都会引发软骨的退行性过程。据推测，维持软骨健康需要关节力学的“最佳范围”。然而，个体间这种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)促进对健康体内条件下人体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。这项工作很重要，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。***具体目标侧重于开发新的方法和确定：i)单腿深蹲或摆动期间的体内动态膝关节稳定性和神经肌肉控制，ii)髌骨、股骨和胫骨软骨的负荷恢复反应，以及iii)行走期间关节接触负荷、一致性和软骨表面接触运动学之间的关系。评估与软骨组成（T2值）、关节一致性和性别的关系。******这项工作将利用该小组独特的、国际领先的能力，为健康的活体膝关节力学的非侵入性测定提供新的方法。该研究项目是第一个关注健康膝关节力学和功能的研究项目，旨在深入了解人体动态关节运动、力、软骨接触、肌肉激活和关节形态等因素。先进的知识和技术将在生物力学、图像重建、关节建模和稳定性分析方面得到发展。学生将在跨学科领域接受培训，重点是批判性思维，背景知识和实用技能，工程和科学，如仪器仪表，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了进一步的技术。提供关节生物力学在维持健康软骨稳态中的作用的见解，将使知情的建议能够在整个生命周期内维持软骨健康，改进关节替代生物材料，并加速疾病条件和康复方案诊断工具的发展。

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.