Effect of structural distortions on articular cartilage permeability under large deformations.

Effect of structural distortions on articular cartilage permeability under large deformations. Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2019 Sep 10;: Authors: Maleki M, Hashlamoun K, Herzog W, Federico S Abstract The permeability of articular cartilage has a key role in load support and lubrication in diarthrodial joints. The microstructural rearrangement and consequent alteration in permeability caused by the large deformations undergone by cartilage have been previously modelled with a multi-scale approach. At the microscopic scale, the tissue is regarded as a homogeneous fluid-filled proteoglycan matrix reinforced by collagen fibres. A material point is described by a representative element of volume (REV), comprising a collagen fibre surrounded by a jacket of fluid-saturated proteoglycan matrix. At the macroscopic scale, the statistical orientation of the fibres is accounted for via averaging of the REV over all possible directions. The previous models accounted for volumetric deformation and fibre reorientation, but did not consider the cross-sectional distortion of the REV, which changes the widths of the fluid channels in different directions. We account for REV cross-sectional distortion and demonstrate its effects by simulating confined compression tests for the superficial, middle and deep zones of articular cartilage. The proposed model captures published experimental results that were not reproduced correctly by the previous models, an...
Source: Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Tags: Biomech Model Mechanobiol Source Type: research