Abstract
The complex architecture of the articular cartilage is due to interaction between the three main components of this tissue (collagen, proteoglycans, and water). This interaction is also responsible for providing the biomechanical properties of this tissue, permitting its main function which is the transmission of load with low frictional coefficient. If this interaction is lost because of the alteration of its composition, like in the osteoarthritis, or even an acute injury, the biomechanical properties of the cartilage are altered, and this important tissue loses the capacity to withstand stresses that affect the joint, beginning the process of degradation. The main components of the extracellular matrix of the cartilage are collagen (75% of the dry weight), proteoglycans (20–30% of the dry weight), and water, which constitutes from 65% to 80% of the total weight of the cartilage. The mechanical properties of cartilage are conferred by interaction of the cartilage components of the extracellular matrix. The cartilage can be described as a viscoelastic tissue since its load response exhibits both elastic and viscous behavior. As a result of a load applied in the cartilage, a combination of compressive, tensile, and shear stresses is generated and distributed across the tissue. Due to the structure and composition of the cartilage, its response to these stresses is different. Fluid flow is essential for resisting compressive stress and, on the other hand, the ECM is essential for resisting tensile and shear strains.
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Ferretti, M., Costa, L.A.V., Foni, N.O. (2021). Articular Cartilage: Functional Biomechanics. In: Krych, A.J., Biant, L.C., Gomoll, A.H., Espregueira-Mendes, J., Gobbi, A., Nakamura, N. (eds) Cartilage Injury of the Knee. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78051-7_1
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