Knowledge of patient-specific material properties of the articular cartilage at the knee joint is required for accurate model predictions of cartilage response to external loads in healthy, aging, and diseased states.
Estimation of these properties using non-invasive methodologies, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is an ideal solution. This project aims to quantify material properties of the articular cartilage using validated MRI parametric mapping techniques. This project will be completed in three major steps:
- The design and validation of an MRI-compatible cyclic loading apparatus for ex vivo porcine stifle joints (proxy to human knee joints);
- Utilization of a matched pair protocol design to: (a) simultaneously load and image porcine stifles to quantify regional changes in MRI parametric maps following a bout of cyclic loading; (b) replicate the cyclic loading protocol in the matched stifle pair followed by quantification of cartilage material properties using an indentation approach; and
- Employ cartilage segmentation and registration techniques to compare MRI parameters to material properties, and build a statistical model estimating material properties through MRI in a porcine model.