Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Imaging and Analysis Centre, Natural History Museum London, London, UK.
J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2021 Dec;124:104806. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104806. Epub 2021 Sep 1.
An unresolved challenge in osteoarthritis research is characterising the localised intra-tissue mechanical response of articular cartilage. The aim of this study was to explore whether laboratory micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and digital volume correlation (DVC) permit non-destructive quantification of three-dimensional (3D) strain fields in human articular cartilage. Human articular cartilage specimens were harvested from the knee, mounted into a loading device and imaged in the unloaded and loaded states using a micro-CT scanner. Strain was measured throughout the cartilage volume using the micro-CT image data and DVC analysis. The volumetric DVC-measured strain was within 5% of the known applied strain. Variation in strain distribution between the superficial, middle and deep zones was observed, consistent with the different architecture of the material in these locations. These results indicate DVC method may be suitable for calculating strain in human articular cartilage.
骨关节炎研究中的一个未解决的挑战是描述关节软骨的局部组织内机械响应。本研究旨在探讨实验室微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）和数字体素相关（DVC）是否允许对人关节软骨的三维（3D）应变场进行非破坏性定量。从膝关节采集人关节软骨标本，装入加载装置，使用 micro-CT 扫描仪在未加载和加载状态下进行成像。使用 micro-CT 图像数据和 DVC 分析在整个软骨体积内测量应变。体积 DVC 测量的应变与已知施加的应变相差 5%以内。在表面、中层和深层区域之间观察到应变分布的变化，与这些位置材料的不同结构一致。这些结果表明 DVC 方法可能适用于计算人关节软骨的应变。
