The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 61, Issue 5 744-755, Copyright © 1979 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
In vitro measurement of articular cartilage deformations in the intact human hip joint under load
CG Armstrong, AS Bahrani and DL Gardner
Using a new roentgenographic technique for measuring cartilage deformation
in intact joint specimens, twenty-eight normal human hip joints from
subjects twenty-five to eighty-five years old were loaded with a force of
five times body weight in a testing machine. The initial unloaded thickness
of the articular cartilage of the femoral head and the changes in thickness
of this cartilage under load were measured roentgenographically at seven to
twelve sites on each femoral head. These measurements showed that the
deformations of femiral-head articular cartilage under load in the intact
joint are non-uniform and increase greatly with age. In twelve specimens
measurements were also made of the increase in cartilage deformation with
time when the load of five times body weight was maintained on the joint. A
single osteoarthrotic joint was also studied. The experimental findings
imply changes in the fundamental mechanical properties of the cartilage
with age, which probably result from age-related alterations in cartilage
microstructure and chemical composition.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Technorati What's this?
