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A novel mechanobiological model can predict how physiologically relevant dynamic loading causes proteoglycan loss in mechanically injured articular cartilage

Orozco, Gustavo A. LU ; Tanska, Petri ; Florea, Cristina ; Grodzinsky, Alan J. LU and Korhonen, Rami K. (2018) In Scientific Reports 8.
Abstract

Cartilage provides low-friction properties and plays an essential role in diarthrodial joints. A hydrated ground substance composed mainly of proteoglycans (PGs) and a fibrillar collagen network are the main constituents of cartilage. Unfortunately, traumatic joint loading can destroy this complex structure and produce lesions in tissue, leading later to changes in tissue composition and, ultimately, to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Consequently, the fixed charge density (FCD) of PGs may decrease near the lesion. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to these tissue changes are unknown. Here, knee cartilage disks from bovine calves were injuriously compressed, followed by a physiologically relevant dynamic compression for... (More)

Cartilage provides low-friction properties and plays an essential role in diarthrodial joints. A hydrated ground substance composed mainly of proteoglycans (PGs) and a fibrillar collagen network are the main constituents of cartilage. Unfortunately, traumatic joint loading can destroy this complex structure and produce lesions in tissue, leading later to changes in tissue composition and, ultimately, to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Consequently, the fixed charge density (FCD) of PGs may decrease near the lesion. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to these tissue changes are unknown. Here, knee cartilage disks from bovine calves were injuriously compressed, followed by a physiologically relevant dynamic compression for twelve days. FCD content at different follow-up time points was assessed using digital densitometry. A novel cartilage degeneration model was developed by implementing deviatoric and maximum shear strain, as well as fluid velocity controlled algorithms to simulate the FCD loss as a function of time. Predicted loss of FCD was quite uniform around the cartilage lesions when the degeneration algorithm was driven by the fluid velocity, while the deviatoric and shear strain driven mechanisms exhibited slightly discontinuous FCD loss around cracks. Our degeneration algorithm predictions fitted well with the FCD content measured from the experiments. The developed model could subsequently be applied for prediction of FCD depletion around different cartilage lesions and for suggesting optimal rehabilitation protocols.

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author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Mechanobiological Model, Cartilage Discs, Maximum Shear Strain, Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA), Digital Densitometry
in
Scientific Reports
volume
8
article number
15599
pages
16 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055205013
  • pmid:30348953
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-018-33759-3
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Funding Information: The authors appreciate the support of the University of Eastern Finland and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to undertake this study. This project has received funding from the Doctoral Programme in Science, Technology and Computing (SCITECO), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 713645 and No 702586, Academy of Finland (grant no. 286526, 305138), Sigrid Juselius Foundation, the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 755037) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH; Grant UG3/UH3 TR002186); CSC-IT Center for Science Ltd, Finland, is acknowledged for providing FE software. Atte Eskelinen, B.Sc., and Kiira Saarela are acknowledged for technical support. Publisher Copyright: © 2018, The Author(s).
id
b09068b6-abb2-4955-8cd9-a761294a631b
date added to LUP
2022-06-08 11:51:21
date last changed
2024-06-27 15:26:49
@article{b09068b6-abb2-4955-8cd9-a761294a631b,
  abstract     = {{<p>Cartilage provides low-friction properties and plays an essential role in diarthrodial joints. A hydrated ground substance composed mainly of proteoglycans (PGs) and a fibrillar collagen network are the main constituents of cartilage. Unfortunately, traumatic joint loading can destroy this complex structure and produce lesions in tissue, leading later to changes in tissue composition and, ultimately, to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Consequently, the fixed charge density (FCD) of PGs may decrease near the lesion. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to these tissue changes are unknown. Here, knee cartilage disks from bovine calves were injuriously compressed, followed by a physiologically relevant dynamic compression for twelve days. FCD content at different follow-up time points was assessed using digital densitometry. A novel cartilage degeneration model was developed by implementing deviatoric and maximum shear strain, as well as fluid velocity controlled algorithms to simulate the FCD loss as a function of time. Predicted loss of FCD was quite uniform around the cartilage lesions when the degeneration algorithm was driven by the fluid velocity, while the deviatoric and shear strain driven mechanisms exhibited slightly discontinuous FCD loss around cracks. Our degeneration algorithm predictions fitted well with the FCD content measured from the experiments. The developed model could subsequently be applied for prediction of FCD depletion around different cartilage lesions and for suggesting optimal rehabilitation protocols.</p>}},
  author       = {{Orozco, Gustavo A. and Tanska, Petri and Florea, Cristina and Grodzinsky, Alan J. and Korhonen, Rami K.}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  keywords     = {{Mechanobiological Model; Cartilage Discs; Maximum Shear Strain; Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA); Digital Densitometry}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{A novel mechanobiological model can predict how physiologically relevant dynamic loading causes proteoglycan loss in mechanically injured articular cartilage}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33759-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41598-018-33759-3}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}