Abstract

VIDAL-LESSO, A.; LEDESMA-OROZCO, E.; DAZA-BENITEZ, L.  and  LESSO-ARROYO, R.. Mechanical Characterization of Femoral Cartilage Under Unicompartimental Osteoarthritis. Ingenier. mecáni. tecnolog. desarroll [online]. 2014, vol.4, n.6, pp.239-246. ISSN 1665-7381.

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties and thickness of articular cartilage in the unaffected femoral regions in cases of unicompartimental osteoarthritis on the knees. The specimens were tested using a 3mm plane-ended cylindrical indenter and a displacement of 0.5mm was applied at specific points in seven femoral knee cartilages with unicompartimental osteoarthritis. The thickness, stiffness, elastic modulus, shear modulus and bulk modulus were obtained. These properties and thickness were compared with those reported from previous studies. Our findings showed that mechanical properties reported herein present a major magnitude (up to 53%) than those from the previous studies on healthy cartilage. However, the thickness reported in previous studies is larger (up to 69%) than the thickness measured in cartilage specimens of this work. In addition, results showed that analyzed points related to the displacement line in the kinematic flexion axis of the compartments, have significantly (p<0.05) similar thickness and elastic, shear and bulk modulus. Mechanical properties reported into this work for knees with unicompartimental osteoarthritis could be used to analyze cases of unicompartimental knee arthroplasty by means of numerical simulation and to predict the biomechanics behavior of the joint.

Keywords : osteoarthritis; cartilage; mechanical properties; knee joint; biomechanics.

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