The Fractal Structure of Equine Articular Cartilage

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. Cartilage has been found to be a complex and dynamic medium, which has led to an incomplete understanding of the nature and operating mechanisms acting within a joint. Although cartilage has biphasic and triphasic properties, it is believed that the performance of equine articular joints is influenced by the surface roughness of the joint cartilage (Ateshian et al., '98; Chan et al., 2011; Yao and Unsworth, '93). Various joint types with different motions and regimes of lubrication have altered demands on the articular surface that may affect cartilage surface properties. In research performed on freshly harvested samples, equine articular cartilage has been shown to possess a multiscale structure and a fractal dimension. It is thought that by determining the fractal dimension (D) of articular cartilage, a better understanding of the friction, wear, and lubrication mechanisms for biomechanic surfaces can eventually be reached. This study looks at the fractal dimensions of three different articular cartilage surfaces in the equine carpus: the radiocarpal, midcarpal, and carpometacarpal surfaces. The three surfaces provide an ideal comparison of fractal dimensions for a different range of motion, geometry, and loading. In each sample, identical treatment was performed during measurement by a stylus profilometer.