2021/05/28 by Thomas Wyse Jackson, Jonathan Michel, Jackson, Thomas Wyse +11 · 4 citations
Medicine · #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #Cell Adhesion Molecules Research #FOS: Physical sciences #Musculoskeletal synovial abnormalities and treatments #Osteoarthritis Treatment and Mechanisms #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2105.14018
openalex publication_date 2021/05/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Healthy cartilage is a remarkable tissue, able to withstand tens of millions of loading cycles with minimal damage. While much is known about the structural origins of its compressive mechanics, how composition determines its mechanical behavior in shear, a major mode of failure, is poorly understood. Through a combination of microscale structure-function experiments and modeling, we develop a rigidity percolation framework to explain the structural origins of cartilage shear mechanics. This framework provides a new quantitative understanding for how the known degradative events in osteoarthritis determine the mechanical changes that are a hallmark of this disease. As such, this work provides a road map for understanding disease progression and in combination with non-invasive techniques such as MRI will enable more effective diagnosis and treatment.