In vivo articular cartilage deformation: noninvasive quantification of intratissue strain during joint contact in the human knee

Chan DD, Cai L, Butz KD, Trippel SB, Nauman EA, Neu CP · Scientific Reports

Compression produced a sliding, rigid-body displacement at the tibiofemoral cartilage interface, and regionally complex patterns of strain through the thickness of the tissue that differed between individuals. The dominant strains were in shear and approached 12%. Maximum principal and shear strain in the tibia correlated with body mass index.

Population

Healthy human volunteers imaged by MRI with loading synchronised to acquisition, in a sagittal plane through the tibiofemoral cartilage

Intervention

Compression of half body weight applied at the foot

Limitations

A small number of healthy volunteers, a single static load, one imaging plane, and a mechanical measurement rather than any clinical outcome. It establishes that intratissue strain can be measured non-invasively and that the deformation is mostly shear; it says nothing about what repeated loading does over time. No funding or conflict statement appears in the rendered article.