MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL FORCES ON CARTILAGE GROWTH, DAMAGE, AND REPAIR

Alan Grodzinsky
MIT EECS

Cartilage degeneration is associated with diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) and with traumatic injuries to articulating joints. Because adult cartilage has no direct connection to the circulatory system, repair of diseased or injured cartilage rarely occurs. Currently, the only "treatment" for late-stage disease is to replace the affected joint. Almost 20 million Americans are afflicted with OA, markedly diminishing the quality of life; the annual health care cost associated with OA in the US has been estimated at $55 billion.

Recent studies have shown that physical forces and biological stimuli can interact to regulate cartilage degradation and repair by affecting the content and quality of matrix macromolecules produced by cartilage cells. In turn, the structure and interactions between molecular components of cartilage can significantly affect the tissue's biomechanical function and transport properties. Results will be presented which demonstrate this feedback concept. These results also motivate the use of physical diagnostics of cartilage degeneration based on molecular function.