Computational simulation of the multiphasic degeneration of the bone-cartilage unit during osteoarthritis via indentation and unconfined compression tests

2019 ◽  
Vol 233 (9) ◽  
pp. 871-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Shayan Sajjadinia ◽  
Mohammad Haghpanahi ◽  
Mohammad Razi
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Fluid Distribution ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Unconfined Compression ◽  
Calcified Cartilage ◽  
Unit Model ◽  
Fluid Fraction

It has been experimentally proposed that the discrete regions of articular cartilage, along with different subchondral bone tissues, known as the bone-cartilage unit, are biomechanically altered during osteoarthritis degeneration. However, a computational framework capturing all of the dominant changes in the multiphasic parameters has not yet been developed. This article proposes a new finite element model of the bone-cartilage unit by combining several validated, nonlinear, depth-dependent, fibril-reinforced, and swelling models, which can computationally simulate the variations in the dominant parameters during osteoarthritis degeneration by indentation and unconfined compression tests. The mentioned dominant parameters include the proteoglycan depletion, collagen fibrillar softening, permeability, and fluid fraction increase for approximately non-advanced osteoarthritis. The results depict the importance of subchondral bone tissues in fluid distribution within the bone-cartilage units by decreasing the fluid permeation and pressure (up to a maximum of 100 kPa) during osteoarthritis, supporting the notion that subchondral bones might play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the osteoarthritis composition-based studies shed light on the significant biomechanical role of the calcified cartilage, which experienced a maximum change of 70 kPa in stress, together with relative load contributions of articular cartilage constituents during osteoarthritis, in which the osmotic pressure bore around 70% of the loads after degeneration. To conclude, the new insights provided by the results reveal the significance of the multiphasic osteoarthritis simulation and demonstrate the functionality of the proposed bone-cartilage unit model.

On the Indentation Testing of Articular Cartilage: Determination of the Effective Poisson’s Ratio Using Two Different-Sized Punches

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene T. Kepich ◽  
Roger C. Haut
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Poisson’S Ratio ◽  
Direct Determination ◽  
Collagen Fibers ◽  
Poisson's Ratio ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Unconfined Compression ◽  
Collagen Network ◽  
Lateral Expansion

Effective Poisson’s ratio (EPR) of articular cartilage in compression is an important parameter, which is inversely correlated with stiffness of the collagen fibers [1]; and thus, if known, could provide valuable information about integrity of the collagen network in the tissue. Unfortunately, direct determination of the EPR by measuring lateral expansion during unconfined compression tests [2], while being effective, due to it’s destructive nature many times is not desired and/or hard to apply in practice. Optically-determined values of equilibrium EPR for bovine humeral articular cartilage using this method are reported to be in range 0.185±0.0065.

The Asymmetry of Transient Response in Compression Versus Release for Cartilage in Unconfined Compression

2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 519-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. P. Li ◽  
M. D. Buschmann ◽  
A. Shirazi-Adl
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Large Deformation ◽  
Transient Response ◽  
Tensile Strain ◽  
Hydraulic Permeability ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Unconfined Compression ◽  
The Asymmetry

Observations in compression tests of articular cartilage have revealed unequal load increments for compression and release of the same amplitude applied to a disk with an identical previously imposed compression (in equilibrium). The mechanism of this asymmetric transient response is investigated here using a nonlinear fibril-reinforced model. It is found that the asymmetry is predominantly produced by the fibril stiffening with its tensile strain. In addition, allowing the hydraulic permeability to decrease significantly with compressive dilatation of cartilage increases the transient fibril strain, resulting in a stronger asymmetry. Large deformation also enhances the asymmetry as a consequence of stronger fibril stiffening.

scholarly journals Alterations in periarticular bone and cross talk between subchondral bone and articular cartilage in osteoarthritis

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. Goldring
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Bone Thickness ◽  
Intimate Contact ◽  
Skeletal Changes ◽  
Calcified Cartilage ◽  
Diarthrodial Joint ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
And Function

The articular cartilage and the subchondral bone form a biocomposite that is uniquely adapted to the transfer of loads across the diarthrodial joint. During the evolution of the osteoarthritic process biomechanical and biological processes result in alterations in the composition, structure and functional properties of these tissues. Given the intimate contact between the cartilage and bone, alterations of either tissue will modulate the properties and function of the other joint component. The changes in periarticular bone tend to occur very early in the development of OA. Although chondrocytes also have the capacity to modulate their functional state in response to loading, the capacity of these cells to repair and modify their surrounding extracellular matrix is relatively limited in comparison to the adjacent subchondral bone. This differential adaptive capacity likely underlies the more rapid appearance of detectable skeletal changes in OA in comparison to the articular cartilage. The OA changes in periarticular bone include increases in subchondral cortical bone thickness, gradual decreases in subchondral trabeular bone mass, formation of marginal joint osteophytes, development of bone cysts and advancement of the zone of calcified cartilage between the articular cartilage and subchondral bone. The expansion of the zone of calcified cartilage contributes to overall thinning of the articular cartilage. The mechanisms involved in this process include the release of soluble mediators from chondrocytes in the deep zones of the articular cartilage and/or the influences of microcracks that have initiated focal remodeling in the calcified cartilage and subchondral bone in an attempt to repair the microdamage. There is the need for further studies to define the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the interaction between subchondral bone and articular cartilage and for applying this information to the development of therapeutic interventions to improve the outcomes in patients with OA.

The Effect of Permeability of Cartilage Superficial Zone on the Behavior of Stress Relaxation and Creep of Human Ankle Joint

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Wan ◽  
Guoan Li
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Stress Relaxation ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Close Packing ◽  
Superficial Zone ◽  
Narrow Channels ◽  
Calcified Cartilage ◽  
Human Ankle ◽  
Lower Permeability

The microstructure of articular cartilage could be divided into four distinct zones: the superficial zone, middle zone, deep zone, and calcified cartilage zone. It is believed that the superficial zone of articular cartilage has a lower permeability, which may be related to the close packing of the collagen fibrils resulting in a system of much narrow channels which offer a greater resistance to flow [1]. This parametric study investigated the influence of permeability of the superficial zone on the behavior of cartilage stress relaxation and creep of human ankle joint using a 2D biphasic poroelastic finite element model (FEM) that was created from a living human ankle joint.

A comparative study of articular cartilage thickness in the stifle of animal species used in human pre-clinical studies compared to articular cartilage thickness in the human knee

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
pp. 142-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Frisbie ◽  
M. W. Cross ◽  
C. W. McIlwraith
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Femoral Condyle ◽  
Cartilage Thickness ◽  
Bone Plate ◽  
Subchondral Bone Plate ◽  
Femoral Trochlea ◽  
Human Knee ◽  
Calcified Cartilage

SummaryHistological measurements of the thickness of non-calcified and calcified cartilage, as well as the subchondral bone plate in five locations on the femoral trochlea and medial femoral condyles of species were used in preclinical studies of articular cartilage and compared to those of the human knee. Cadaver specimens were obtained of six human knees, as well as six equine, six goat, six dog, six sheep and six rabbit stifle joints (the animal equivalent of the human knee). Specimens were taken from the lateral trochlear ridge, medial trochlear ridge and medial femoral condyle. After histopathological processing, the thickness of non-calcified and calcified cartilage layers, as well as the subchondral bone plate, was measured. Average articular cartilage thickness over five locations were 2.2–2.5 mm for human, 0.3 mm for rabbit, 0.4–0.5 mm for sheep, 0.6–1.3 mm for dog, 0.7–1.5 mm for goat and 1.5–2 mm for horse. The horse provides the closest approximation to humans in terms of articular cartilage thickness, and this approximation is considered relevant in pre-clinical studies of cartilage healing.

Transverse Fracture of the Proximal Humeral Articular Cartilage in Dogs (So-called Osteochondritis Dissecans)

1969 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 424-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Cordy ◽  
Alida P. Wind
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Osteochondritis Dissecans ◽  
Hyaline Cartilage ◽  
Fibrous Tissue ◽  
Transverse Fracture ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Deep Surface ◽  
Calcified Cartilage

A disease in young, predominantly male dogs of heavier breeds, commonly called osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder, was found to be a transverse fracture of humeral articular cartilage along the ‘tidemark’ (the junction of uncalcified and calcified cartilage) rather than through necrotic subchondral bone. The lesion was characterized by a profile of plaques of remnant calcified cartilage in the floor of the defect, with variable proliferation of fibrous tissue, fibrocartilage, primitive cartilage, and bone derived from the underlying tissue. The sequestral fragment was composed of viable hyaline cartilage with small areas of calcified cartilage in the deep surface.

A finite element model of an idealized diarthrodial joint to investigate the effects of variation in the mechanical properties of the tissues

2003 ◽  
Vol 217 (5) ◽  
pp. 341-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
F H Dar ◽  
R M Aspden
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Finite Element Model ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Bone Plate ◽  
Subchondral Bone Plate ◽  
Wide Range

The stiffness of articular cartilage increases dramatically with increasing rate of loading, and it has been hypothesized that increasing the stiffness of the subchondral bone may result in damaging stresses being generated in the articular cartilage. Despite the interdependence of these tissues in a joint, little is understood of the effect of such changes in one tissue on stresses generated in another. To investigate this, a parametric finite element model of an idealized joint was developed. The model incorporated layers representing articular cartilage, calcified cartilage, the subchondral bone plate and cancellous bone. Taguchi factorial design techniques, employing a two-level full-factorial and a four-level fractional factorial design, were used to vary the material properties and thicknesses of the layers over the wide range of values found in the literature. The effects on the maximum values of von Mises stress in each of the tissues are reported here. The stiffness of the cartilage was the main factor that determined the stress in the articular cartilage. This, and the thickness of the cartilage, also had the largest effect on the stresses in all the other tissues with the exception of the subchondral bone plate, in which stresses were dominated by its own stiffness. The stiffness of the underlying subchondral bone had no effect on the stresses generated in the cartilage. This study shows how stresses in the various tissues are affected by changes in their mechanical properties and thicknesses. It also demonstrates the benefits of a structured, systematic approach to investigating parameter variation in finite element models.

Subchondral Thickness Does Not Vary with Cartilage Degeneration on the Metatarsal

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen Raudenbush ◽  
Dale R. Sumner ◽  
Parimal M. Panchal ◽  
Carol Muehleman
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Articular Surface ◽  
Plate Thickness ◽  
Cartilage Degeneration ◽  
Metatarsal Head ◽  
First Metatarsal ◽  
Calcified Cartilage ◽  
Bone Changes ◽  
Subchondral Plate

Osteoarthritis is a disease of synovial joints that involves articular cartilage breakdown with accompanying bone changes, including subchondral sclerosis and osteophytosis. However, conflicting data have been reported concerning the cause-and-effect relationship, if any, between these changes. The authors studied the subchondral plate (subchondral bone plus calcified cartilage) in relation to the degree of articular cartilage degeneration on the distal articular surface of the first metatarsal, a region prone to osteoarthritis. No correlation was found between subchondral plate thickness or porosity and the degree of cartilage degeneration in the study sample of 96 metatarsals. Owing to the suggestion that initiation of cartilage fibrillation may be a result of steep stiffness gradients in the subchondral bone, the ratios of subchondral plate thickness in adjacent regions of the metatarsal head were examined in detail, but no correlation was found with subchondral degeneration. Thus increases in subchondral bone thickness are not associated with increases in cartilage degeneration on the first metatarsal, which may imply that subchondral bone changes do not cause osteoarthritis in this joint. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(2): 104-110, 2003)

scholarly journals Full-Field Strain Uncertainties and Residuals at the Cartilage-Bone Interface in Unstained Tissues Using Propagation-Based Phase-Contrast XCT and Digital Volume Correlation

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Tozzi ◽  
Marta Peña Fernández ◽  
Sarah Davis ◽  
Aikaterina Karali ◽  
Alexander Peter Kao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Feature Recognition ◽  
Field Strain ◽  
Digital Volume Correlation ◽  
Full Field ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Bone Interface ◽  
Calcified Cartilage

A deeper understanding of the cartilage-bone mechanics is fundamental to unravel onset and progression of osteoarthritis, enabling better diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the capability of X-ray computed (XCT) phase-contrast imaging in a lab-based system to enable digital volume correlation (DVC) measurements of unstained cartilage-bone plugs from healthy adult bovines. DVC strain uncertainties were computed for both articular cartilage and mineralized tissue (calcified cartilage and subchondral bone) in the specimens at increasing propagation distances, ranging from absorption up to four times (4× such effective distance. In addition, a process of dehydration and rehydration was proposed to improve feature recognition in XCT of articular cartilage and mechanical properties of this tissue during the process were assessed via micromechanical probing (indentation), which was also used to determine the effect of long X-ray exposure. Finally, full-field strain from DVC was computed to quantify residual strain distribution at the cartilage-bone interface following unconfined compression test (ex situ). It was found that enhanced gray-scale feature recognition at the cartilage-bone interface was achieved using phase-contrast, resulting in reduced DVC strain uncertainties compared to absorption. Residual strains up to ~7000 µε in the articular cartilage were transferred to subchondral bone via the calcified cartilage and micromechanics revealed the predominant effect of long phase-contrast X-ray exposure in reducing both stiffness and hardness of the articular cartilage. The results of this study will pave the way for further development and refinement of the techniques, improving XCT-based strain measurements in cartilage-bone and other soft-hard tissue interfaces.

Tetrapolar Measurement of Electrical Conductivity and Thickness of Articular Cartilage

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Binette ◽  
M. Garon ◽  
P. Savard ◽  
M. D. McKee ◽  
M. D. Buschmann
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Articular Surface ◽  
Cartilage Thickness ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Bovine Articular Cartilage ◽  
Calcified Cartilage ◽  
Non Destructive

A tetrapolar method to measure electrical conductivity of cartilage and bone, and to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage attached to bone, was developed. We determined the electrical conductivity of humeral head bovine articular cartilage and subchondral bone from a 1- to 2-year-old steer to be 1.14±0.11S/m(mean±sd,n=11) and 0.306±0.034S/m,(mean±sd,n=3), respectively. For a 4-year-old cow, articular cartilage and subchondral bone electrical conductivity were 0.88±0.08S/m(mean±sd,n=9) and 0.179±0.046S/m(mean±sd,n=3), respectively. Measurements on slices of cartilage taken from different distances from the articular surface of the steer did not reveal significant depth-dependence of electrical conductivity. We were able to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage with reasonable precision (<20% error) by injecting current from multiple electrode pairs with different inter-electrode distances. Requirements for the precision of this method to measure cartilage thickness include the presence of a distinct layer of calcified cartilage or bone with a much lower electrical conductivity than that of uncalcified articular cartilage, and the use of inter-electrode distances of the current injecting electrodes that are on the order of the cartilage thickness. These or similar methods present an attractive approach to the non-destructive determination of cartilage thickness, a parameter that is required in order to estimate functional properties of cartilage attached to bone, and evaluate the need for therapeutic interventions in arthritis.

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