Articular cartilage functions as a load-bearing material, which provides a smooth, low-friction surface for bone articulation.  Its load-bearing ability arises from highly negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) enmeshed in a collagenous matrix.  The negatively charged GAGs attract cations into the tissue producing a high osmotic swelling pressure.  The swelling pressure is balanced by the tensile stress generated in the collagen network. The present study explores the relationship between cartilage biomechanical properties and its structure and composition.  We combine high-resolution scattering techniques (small angle X-ray scattering, small angle neutron scattering, static and dynamic light scattering) with macroscopic mechanical and osmotic pressure measurements.  The load-bearing resistance is evaluated from the concentration dependence of the osmotic pressure from which the osmotic modulus is derived.  Understanding how cartilage responds to the environment is a critically important step in developing strategies to prevent and treat cartilage disorders and in designing implants for cartilage repair and regeneration.

Cartilage: Structure and osmotic properties

244th National Meeting (2012)

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