K. Y. Volokh^*, E. Y. S. Chao^†, M. Armand^‡

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 67-74, 2007, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2007.004.067

Abstract Information about the stress distribution on contact surfaces of adjacent bones is indispensable for analysis of arthritis, bone fracture and remodeling. Numerical solution of the contact problem based on the classical approaches of solid mechanics is sophisticated and time-consuming. However, the solution can be essentially simplified on the following physical grounds. The bone contact surfaces are covered with a layer of articular cartilage, which is a soft tissue as compared to the hard bone. The latter allows ignoring the bone compliance in analysis of the contact problem, i.e. rigid bones are considered to interact through a compliant cartilage. Moreover, cartilage… More >

Morakot Likhitpanichkul¹, X. Edward Guo², Van C. Mow^1,3

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 191-204, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.191

Abstract Thorough analyses of the mechano-electrochemical interaction between articular cartilage matrix and the chondrocytes are crucial to understanding of the signal transduction mechanisms that modulate the cell metabolic activities and biosynthesis. Attempts have been made to model the chondrocytes embedded in the collagen-proteoglycan extracellular matrix to determine the distribution of local stress-strain field, fluid pressure and the time-dependent deformation of the cell. To date, these models still have not taken into account a remarkable characteristic of the cartilage extracellular matrix given rise from organization of the collagen fiber architecture, now known as the tension-compression nonlinearity (TCN) of the tissue, as well… More >

Deng Li¹, Shuwei Chang^1,*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.120, No.2, pp. 305-318, 2019, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2019.06475

Abstract Mechanical force plays a critical role in the remodeling and degradation of cartilage tissues. The cartilage tissue generates, absorbs, and transmits mechanical force, enabling specific biological processes in our body. A moderate intensity mechanical force is necessary for cartilage tissue remodeling and the adaptation of biomechanical properties, but a high intensity mechanical force can lead to pathological degradation of cartilage tissue. However, the molecular mechanism of cartilage degradation is still unclear. We use full atomistic simulations with SMD simulations to investigate whether the magnitude of mechanical force affects the unbinding pathway of the MMP8-Aggrecan_IGD complex. We find that when the… More >

Taffetani M.¹, Bertarelli E.^1,2, Gottardi R.^3,4, Raiteri R.⁵, Vena P.^1,2

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.87, No.5, pp. 433-460, 2012, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2012.087.433

Abstract Dynamic nanoindentation is a novel nanomechanical testing that is being increasingly used to characterize the frequency response of viscoelastic materials and of soft hydrated biological tissues at the micrometric and nanometric length scales. This technique is able to provide more information than those obtained by simple indentation; however, its interpretation is still an open issue for complex materials such as the case of anisotropic biological tissues that generally have a high water content. This work presents a numerical model to characterize the frequency response of poro-elastic tissues subjected to harmonic indentation loading with particular regard to the effect of geometrical… More >

B. Obradovic¹, M. Radisic², G. Vunjak-Novakovic³

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 189-202, 2007, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2007.003.189

Abstract Efficient transport of oxygen is one of the main requirements in tissue engineering systems in order to avoid cell death in the inner tissue regions and support uniform tissue regeneration. In this paper, we review approaches to design of tissue engineering systems with adequate oxygen delivery for cultivation of cartilage and myocardium, two distinctly different tissue types with respect to the tissue structure and oxygen requirements. Mathematical modeling was used to support experimental results and predict oxygen transport within the cultivated tissues and correlate it to the cell response and tissue properties. More >