Cartilage and diarthrodial joints as paradigms for hierarchical materials and structures

https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(98)90170-4/pdf

Altered mechanics of cartilage with osteoarthritis: human osteoarthritis and an experimental model of joint degeneration.

Viscoelastic shear properties of articular cartilage and the effects of glycosidase treatments.

The biphasic poroviscoelastic behavior of articular cartilage: Role of the surface zone in governing the compressive behavior

Damage to and degeneration of articular cartilage is a major health issue in industrialized nations. Articular cartilage has a particularly limited capacity for auto regeneration. At present, there is no established therapy for a sufficiently reliable and durable replacement of damaged articular cartilage. In this, as well as in other areas of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering methods are considered to be a promising therapeutic component. Nevertheless, there remain obstacles to the establishment of tissue-engineered cartilage as a part of the routine therapy for cartilage defects. One necessary aspect of potential tissue engineering-based therapies for cartilage damage that requires both elucidation and progress toward practical solutions is the reliable, cost effective cultivation of suitable tissue. Bioreactors and associated methods and equipment are the tools with which it is hoped that such a supply of tissue-engineered cartilage can be provided. The fact that in vivo adaptive physical stimulation influences chondrocyte function by affecting mechanotransduction leads to the development of specifically designed bioreactor devices that transmit forces like shear, hydrostatic pressure, compression, and combinations thereof to articular and artificial cartilage in vitro. This review summarizes the basic knowledge of chondrocyte biology and cartilage dynamics together with the exploration of the various biophysical principles of cause and effect that have been integrated into bioreactor systems for the cultivation and stimulation of chondrocytes.

Richard P. Wassell

Papers

Nonlinear viscoelastic properties of articular cartilage in shear.