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

关节软骨覆盖关节(如膝盖、髋关节、肩部)的骨骼末端。在受伤后，它通常不能很好地愈合：软骨退化是骨关节炎和退行性关节疾病的主要组成部分。组织主要由一种特殊的细胞外基质组成，这种基质本质上是一种携带大量电荷密度的凝胶。这使软骨具有一系列的运输、机械和电动特性，如果彻底了解和准确测量，可能会被用于疾病的早期检测。考虑以下几点：(1)溶质在软骨中的传输取决于组织生理学和临床成像所用造影剂的分布。(2)机械压缩过程中的基质变形提供了对软骨结构和功能的基本了解。(3)软骨内液体流动引起的电动现象在无创性组织质量标测中显示出巨大的应用前景。

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.