BIOMECHANICS OF

THE ARTICULAR
CARTILAGE

COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF

ARTICULAR CARTILAGE
1. CHONDROCYTES, 10 %
2. COLLAGEN (fibrous ultrastructure, procollagen
polypeptide), 10-30 %

3. PROTEOGLYCAN ( PG ) large protein

polysaccharide molecules ( in form of monomers and
aggregates) 3-10 %
4. WATER + inorganic salts, glycoprteins, lipids, 6087 %

LOCATION OF THE COLLAGENE FIBERS

COMPRESSION

CARTILAGE AS VISCOELASTIC
MATERIAL
If a material is subjected to the action of a
constant (time independent load or constant
deformation and its response varies (time
dependent) then the mechanical behavior of
the material is said to be viscoelastic.

PERMIABILITY OF ARTICULAR
CARTILAGE
Porosity ( b ): ratio of the fluid volume (m3 )to
the total amount (m) of the porous material
Permeability ( k ): a measure of the ease with
which fluid can flow through a porous
permeable material and it is inversely
proporsional to the frictional drag ( K )
k = b 2/ K [(m4/Ns

Basic responses
1. BIPHASIC CREEP
2. BIPHASIC STRESS RELAXATION

1. BIPHASIC CREEP
The time taken to reach creep
equilibrium varies inversely with the
square of the thickness of the tissue

CREEP PHENOMENON
CREEP EQUILIBRIUM
2-4 mm human and bovin articular
cartilage > 4 - 16 hours
FIG.
2-9

rabbit cartilage 1 mm > 1 hour

above 1 Mpa > 50 % of total fluid is squeezed

The rate of fluid exudation governs the

creep rate, so it can be used to determine
the permeability coefficient
TISSUE PERMEABILITY COEFFICIENT(k)
HUMAN CARTILAGE: 4.7 +/- 0.04 x 10 -15 m4 / N
s
BOVIN CARTILAGE: 4.67 +/- 0.04 x 10 -15 m4 / N s

Equilibrium defomation can be used

to measure the intrinsic compressive
modulus
INTRINSIC COMPRESSIVE MODULUS ( HA )
HUMAN CARTILAGE: 0.79 +/- 0.36 MPa
BOVIN CARTILAGE: 0.85 +/- 0.21 MPa

k varies directly with water

content
HA varies inversely with water
content

STRESS RELAXATION
TISSUE PERMEABILITY (k)
INTRINSIC COMPRESSIVE MODULUS ( HA )
similar to creep

UNIAXIAL TENSION

Tangent modulus, which denotes the

stiffness of the material

s/e
Maximum strain : 3 - 100 MPa,
Physiological strain: 15 % > 5 - 10 MPa

compliance = e / s
szigma, epszilon

PURE SHEAR FORCES

No pressure gradiens or volumetric changes
No interstitial fluid flow occures
Thus , a steady dynamic pure shear
experiment can be used to asses the
intrinsic viscoelastic properties of the
collagen - RG solid matrix.

PURE SHEAR
storage modulus ( G` ), loss modulus ( G`` )

dynamic shear modulus ( G* )2 = ( G`)2 + ( G``)2

G* =
FIG.
2-15

( G`)2 + ( G``)2

phase shift angle ( d ) = tan -1 (G``/ G`)

The magnitude of the dynamic shear
modulus is a measure of the total resistance
of the viscoelastic materials

The magnitude of the dynamic shear

modulus is a measure of the total resistance
of the viscoelastic materials
d value is a measure of the total frictional
energy dissipation within the material.
FIG.
2-15,
16

In pure elastic material is no internal

frictional dissipation: d is zero
for pure viscous fluid d is 90 degree

Bovin articalar cartilage

G* = 1 -3 Mpa

d = 9 - 20 degrees

LUBRICATION

TYPES OF LUBRICATION

BOUNDARY
LUBRICATION

FLUID FILM
LUBRICATION

Absorbed
boundary
lubricant

BOUNDARY LUBRICATION

FIG.
2-18

independent of the physical properties

of either lubricant (eg. its viscosity) or
the bearing material (eg. its stiffness),
but instead depends almost entirely on
the chemical properties of the lubricant.
glycoprotein, lubricin
lubricin is adsorbed as a macromolecule monolayer

FLUID FILM LUBRICATION

HYDRODYNAMIC
LUBRICATION

SQUEEZE FILM
LUBRICATION

FLUID FILM LUBRICATION

Utilizes a thin film of lubricant that causes greater
bearing surface separation

> 20 um

HYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION
Occurs when nonparallel rigid bearing surfaces
lubricated by a fluid film move tangentially with respect
to each other (i.e. slide on each other), forming a
covering wedge of fluid.

A lifting pressure is generated in this wedge by

the fluid viscosity as the bearing motion drags
the fluid into the gap between the surfaces.

SQUEEZE FILM LUBRICATION

Occurs when the rigid bearing surfaces move
perpendicularly towards each other. In the gap between
the two surfaces, the fluid viscosity generates pressure,
which is required to force the fluid lubricant out.

The squeeze film mechanizm is sufficient to carry high

loads for short duration

In the hydrodynamic and squeeze film

lubrication, the thickness and extent of fluid
film, as well as its load-bearing capacity, are
characteristics independent of rigid bearing
material properties.
Determined by
reologic properties (viscosity)
the film geometry ( the shape of the gap)
speed of the relative surface motion

Elastodynamic lubrication

(surface of the bearing material is not smooth)

Self-lubrication

The effective mode of lubrication depends on the

applied loads and on the velocity (speed and
direction) of the bearing surfaces.
Boundary lubrication: high loads, low speed, long periods
Fluid film lubrication: low loads, high speed
Elastohydrodynamic lubrication: the pressure
generated in the fluid film substantially deforms
the surface
combinations

Summary
1. Elastohydrodynamic fluid film of both sliding
(hydrodynamic)and the squeeze type probably play an
important role in lubricating the joints
2. With high load and low speed of relative motion,
such as during standing, the fluid film will decrease in
thickness as the fluid is squeezed out from between the
surface.

3. Under extreme loading conditions, such as during

extended period of standing following impact, the fluid
film may be eliminated, allowing surface-to- surfabe
contact.

WEAR OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE

1. INTERFACIAL (ABRESIVE) WEAR
interaction of bearing surfaces
2. FATIGUE WEAR

accumulation of microscopic damage

(disruption of the collagen-PG matrix)
within the bearing materials under
repetitive stressing
erosion

BIOMECHANICS OF CARTILAGE
DEGENERATION
Failure progression relates

magnitude of the imposed stresses

total number of sustained stress peaks

changes in the intrinsic molecular and

microscopic structure of the collagen-PG
matrix
changes in the intrinsic mechanical property
of the tissue