Abstract
Transgenic and biochemical mouse models of osteoarthritis have become increasingly popular. However, the microscale thickness of mouse cartilage complicates mechanical characterization of these models. Existing methods are time-prohibitive and difficult, especially for life scientists. We developed a rapid, nondestructive method for viscoelastically characterizing murine articular cartilage, and validated it. We dissected tibial plateaus from adult mouse knees, and subjected them to trypsination and ribosylation treatments. Dynamic mechanical testing was performed using a BioDent testing apparatus (ActiveLife Scientific, Santa Barbara, CA). Viscoelastic parameters were extracted, and repeat testing was conducted to check for testing-induced damage. This protocol demonstrated significant mechanical differences between the control and osteoarthritic models. Additionally, we verified results using histology and finite element analysis.
Document Type
Final Report
Class Name
Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences Independent Study
Date of Submission
5-16-2016
Recommended Citation
Chang, Andrew and Tang, Simon, "Viscoelastic Characterization of Murine Articular Cartilage through Nondestructive Dynamic Microindentation" (2016). Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study. 15.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500/15