A surface roughness comparison of cartilage in different types of synovial joints.
Abstract: The naturally occurring structure of articular cartilage has proven to be an effective means for the facilitation of motion and load support in equine and other animal joints. For this reason, cartilage has been extensively studied for many years. Although the roughness of cartilage has been determined from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and other methods in multiple studies, a comparison of roughness to joint function has not be completed. It is hypothesized that various joint types with different motions and regimes of lubrication have altered demands on the articular surface that may affect cartilage surface properties. Micro- and nanoscale stylus profilometry was performed on the carpal cartilage harvested from 16 equine forelimbs. Eighty cartilage surface samples taken from three different functioning joint types (radiocarpal, midcarpal, and carpometacarpal) were measured by a Veeco Dektak 150 Stylus Surface Profilometer. The average surface roughness measurements were statistically different for each joint. This indicates that the structure of cartilage is adapted to, or worn by, its operating environment. Knowledge of cartilage micro- and nanoscale roughness will assist the future development and design of treatments for intra- articular substances or surfaces to preserve joint integrity and reduce limitations or loss of joint performance.
Publication Date: 2012-04-10 PubMed ID: 22482673DOI: 10.1115/1.4005934Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article focuses on studying and comparing the surface roughness of cartilages in different types of synovial joints in horses. The study finds the surface roughness of these cartilages varies according to the joint type, suggesting that joint function or usage may influence the structure of the cartilage.
Research Purpose and Methods
The research was driven by the objective to understand whether different joint types with varying motions and lubrication regimes influenced the surface properties of the articular cartilage, specifically the cartilage’s roughness level.
- In order to achieve this, the research carried out micro- and nanoscale stylus profilometry on carpal cartilage extracted from 16 equine forelimbs.
- Cartilage surface samples were extracted from three different functioning joint types – radiocarpal, midcarpal, and carpometacarpal.
- The roughness of these 80 samples was measured utilising a Veeco Dektak 150 Stylus Surface Profilometer, a high precision instrument used for surface topography analysis.
Findings and Implications
The study found that there were statistically significant differences in surface roughness measurements between the different joint types.
- This suggests that each type of joint has an impact on the structure of the cartilage, either through adaptation to its specific operating environment, or due to wear and tear over time.
- The researchers suggest that this understanding of the differing roughness at micro- and nanoscale levels will help in the future development and design of treatments for intra-articular substances or surfaces.
- This could potentially help preserve joint integrity, and reduce any limitations or deterioration in joint function.
The researchers concluded that the roughness of cartilage could be an important characteristic to consider when developing therapeutic treatments and interventions for joint-related issues.
Cite This Article
APA
Smyth PA, Rifkin RE, Jackson RL, Hanson RR.
(2012).
A surface roughness comparison of cartilage in different types of synovial joints.
J Biomech Eng, 134(2), 021006.
https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4005934 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. pasmyth4@gatech.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Carpus, Animal
- Cartilage, Articular
- Horses
- Joints
- Surface Properties
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Youssef D, Hassab-Elnaby S, El-Ghandoor H. Nanoscale quantitative surface roughness measurement of articular cartilage using second-order statistical-based biospeckle. PLoS One 2021;16(1):e0246395.
- Brill N, Riedel J, Rath B, Tingart M, Jahr H, Betsch M, Quack V, Pufe T, Schmitt R, Nebelung S. Optical coherence tomography-based parameterization and quantification of articular cartilage surface integrity. Biomed Opt Express 2015 Jul 1;6(7):2398-411.
- Kadlecova Z, Chamradova I, Tuslova K, Rebenda D, Cipek P, Gregora J, Stredanska A, Sawae Y, Mencik P, Vrbka M, Vojtova L. Biomimetic pHEMA Hydrogels as an Alternative Cartilage-like Model Material for Biotribological Evaluations. ACS Omega 2025 Sep 30;10(38):44147-44161.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
