Combined enzymatic degradation of proteoglycans and collagen significantly alters intratissue strains in articular cartilage during cyclic compression.

ABSTRACT: As degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) progress, the matrix constituents, particularly collagen fibrils and proteoglycans, become damaged, therefore deteriorating the tissue's mechanical properties. This study aims to further the understanding of the effect of degradation of the different cartilage constituents on the mechanical loading environment in early stage OA. To this end, intact, collagen- and proteoglycan-depleted cartilage plugs were cyclically loaded in axial compression using an experimental model simulating in vivo cartilage-on-cartilage contact conditions in a micro-MRI scanner. Depletion of collagen and proteoglycans was achieved through enzymatic degradation with collagenase and chondroitinase ABC, respectively. Using a displacement-encoded imaging seque

SUBMITTER: Pastrama MI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7028440 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature