Biomechanical considerations in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and a major cause of disability. The knee is the large joint most affected. While chronological age is the single most important risk factor of osteoarthritis, the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis in the young patient is predominantly related to an unfavorable biomechanical environment at the joint. This results in mechanical demand that exceeds the ability of a joint to repair and maintain itself, predisposing the articular cartilage to premature degeneration. This review examines the available basic science, preclinical and clinical evidence regarding several such unfavorable biomechanical conditions about the knee: malalignment, loss of meniscal tissue, cartilage defects and joint instability or laxity

Tomographic imaging of reacting flows in 3D by laser absorption spectroscopy

This paper describes the development of an infrared laser absorption tomography system for the 3D volumetric imaging of chemical species and temperature in reacting flows. The system is based on high-resolution near-infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) for the measurement of water vapour above twin, mixed fuel gas burners arranged with an asymmetrical output. Four parallel laser beams pass through the sample region and are rotated rapidly in a plane to produce a wide range of projection angles. A rotation of 180° with 0.5° sampling was achieved in 3.6 s. The effects of changes to the burner fuel flow were monitored in real time for the 2D distributions. The monitoring plane was then moved vertically relative to the burners enabling a stack of 2D images to be produced which were then interpolated to form a 3D volumetric image of the temperature and water concentrations above the burners. The optical transmission of each beam was rapidly scanned around 1392 nm and the spectrum was fitted to find the integrated absorbance of the water transitions and although several are probed in each scan, two of these transitions possess opposite temperature dependencies. The projections of the integrated absorbances at each angle form the sinogram from which the 2D image of integrated absorbance of each line can be reconstructed by the direct Fourier reconstruction based on the Fourier slice theorem. The ratio of the integrated absorbances of the two lines can then be related to temperature alone in a method termed, two-line thermometry. The 2D temperature distribution obtained was validated for pattern and accuracy by thermocouple measurements. With the reconstructed temperature distribution, the temperature-dependent line strengths could be determined and subsequently the concentration distribution of water across the 2D plane whilst variations in burner condition were carried out. These results show that the measurement system based on TDLAS can be used for 2D temporal or 3D volume imaging of temperature and chemical species concentration in reacting flows

Measurement of Crystalline Silica Aerosol Using Quantum Cascade Laser–Based Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract Inhalation exposure to airborne respirable crystalline silica (RCS) poses major health risks in many industrial environments. There is a need for new sensitive instruments and methods for in-field or near real-time measurement of crystalline silica aerosol. The objective of this study was to develop an approach, using quantum cascade laser (QCL)-based infrared spectroscopy (IR), to quantify airborne concentrations of RCS. Three sampling methods were investigated for their potential for effective coupling with QCL-based transmittance measurements: (i) conventional aerosol filter collection, (ii) focused spot sample collection directly from the aerosol phase, and (iii) dried spot obtained from deposition of liquid suspensions. Spectral analysis methods were developed to obtain IR spectra from the collected particulate samples in the range 750–1030 cm−1. The new instrument was calibrated and the results were compared with standardized methods based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. Results show that significantly lower detection limits for RCS (≈330 ng), compared to conventional infrared methods, could be achieved with effective microconcentration and careful coupling of the particulate sample with the QCL beam. These results offer promise for further development of sensitive filter-based laboratory methods and portable sensors for near real-time measurement of crystalline silica aerosol