Biological Comparison Between Healthy, Aged and Worn Knee Cartilage

Knowledge of cartilage composition and structure in the knee is essential to understanding how the joint will be affected by mechanical loading. Biological, structural, and mechanical factors all play a role in determining how susceptible the knee may be to osteoarthritis and joint degeneration. The purpose of this study is to compare healthy cartilage, aged and worn cartilage that has recently undergone 1 M gait loading cycles. The importance of this research is to improve productivity and quality of life for patients at risk of osteoarthritis to minimize severe pain and stress on the knee. This approach has been used in our lab to investigate the comparison of the three different types of cartilage.