Download or read book Investigations of the Composition-function Relationships in Normal, Degraded, and Engineered Articular Cartilage Using EPIC-microcomputed Tomography written by Ashley Wells Palmer and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Articular cartilage provides a low-friction surface during normal joint motion and distributes forces to the underlying bone. The extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of healthy cartilage has previously been shown to be an excellent predictor of its mechanical properties. Changes in ECM composition and loss of mechanical function are known to occur with degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis. Identifying differences in the composition-function relationships of cartilage under different anabolic, catabolic, and homeostatic conditions may thus be a useful approach for identifying factors (e.g. ECM content, distribution, and structure) which are critical to mechanical function. In addition, diagnostic tools capable of monitoring changes in the cartilage ECM may increase our understanding of the effects of ECM changes on composition-functions relationships.