Genipin crosslinking decreases the mechanical wear and biochemical degradation of impacted cartilage in vitro

High energy trauma to cartilage causes surface fissures and microstructural damage, but the degree to which this damage renders the tissue more susceptible to wear and contributes to the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is unknown. Additionally, no treatments are currently available to strengthen cartilage after joint trauma and to protect the tissue from subsequent degradation and wear. The purposes of this study were to investigate the role of mechanical damage in the degradation and wear of cartilage, to evaluate the effects of impact and subsequent genipin crosslinking on the changes in the viscoelastic parameters of articular cartilage, and to test the hypothesis that genipin crosslinking is an effective treatment to enhance the resistance to biochemical degradation and mechanical wear. Results demonstrate that cartilage stiffness decreases after impact loading, likely due to the formation of fissures and microarchitectural damage, and is partially or fully restored by crosslinking. The wear resistance of impacted articular cartilage was diminished compared to undamaged cartilage, suggesting that mechanical damage that is directly induced by the impact may contribute to the progression of PTOA. However, the decrease in wear resistance was completely reversed by the crosslinking treatments. Additionally, the crosslinking treatments improved the resistance to collagenase digestion at the impact-damaged articular surface. These results highlight the potential therapeutic value of collagen crosslinking via genipin in the prevention of cartilage degeneration after traumatic injury

Computational investigation of fibrinmechanical and damage properties at the interface between native cartilage and implant

Scaffold-based tissue-engineered constructs as well as cell-free implants offer promising solutions to focal cartilage lesions. However, adequate mechanical stability of these implants in the lesion is required for successful repair. Fibrin is the most common clinically available adhesive for cartilage implant fixation, but fixation quality using fibrin is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate the conditions leading to damage in the fibrin adhesive and to determine which adhesive properties are important in preventing delamination at the interface. An idealized finite element model of the medial compartment of the knee was created, including a circular defect and an osteochondral implant. Damage and failure of fibrin at the interface was represented by a cohesive zone model with coefficients determined from an inverse finite element method and previously published experimental data. Our results demonstrated that fibrin glue alone may not be strong enough to withstand physiologic loads in vivo while fibrin glue combined with chondrocytes more effectively prevents damage at the interface. The results of this study suggest that fibrin fails mainly in shear during off-axis loading and that adhesive materials that are stronger or more compliant than fibrin may be good alternatives due to decreased failure at the interface. The present model may be used to improve design and testing protocols of bioadhesives and give insight into the failure mechanisms of cartilage implant fixation in the knee joint

Estimation of Polymer Coating Scratch Tensile Strength by Nano- indentation, Micro-scratch Testing, and Finite Element Modeling

ABSTRACT In a previous paper, polymer coating viscoelastic/plastic properties were determined using nanoindentation and the finite element method. In this work, the individual layers, once characterized, were assembled into a multi-layered structure and subject to micro-scratch tests. These tests determined a critical scratch indentation load for the layered structure, as designated by the first appearance during scratching of visible surface layer tensile cracks. Scratch tests were carried out for three different conical scratch tip radii. The top-layer tensile strength of the layered structures was then estimated, utilizing the individual layer properties, the top layer friction coefficients, the micro-scratch test critical loads, and a finite element scratch model, for each scratch tip radius. The values of the top layer scratch tensile strengths were in good agreement for each of the three tip radii, as anticipated. The top-layer scratch tensile strengths may be utilized for further analysis and comparison of differences in gloss retention after gloss reduction experiments. The method may be used as a basis for coating selection, comparison, and performance testing in scratch-resistant polymer coating applications

Contact analyses for anisotropic half-space coated with an anisotropic layer: effect of the anisotropy on the pressure distribution and contact area

International audienceA contact model using semi analytical methods, relying on elementary analytical solutions, has been developed. It is based on numerical techniques adapted to contact mechanics, with strong potential for inelastic, inhomogeneous or anisotropic materials. Recent developments aim to quantify displacements and stresses of a layered anisotropic elastic half space which is in contact with a rigid sphere. The influence of material properties and layer thickness on the contact problem solution will be more specifically analyzed