Use of polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to determine the directional polarization sensitivity of articular cartilage and meniscus.

The directional polarization sensitivity of articular cartilage and meniscus is investigated by use of polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) by varying the angle of incident illumination. Experimental results show that when the incident light is perpendicular to the tissue surface, normal articular cartilage demonstrates little polarization sensitivity, while meniscus demonstrates strong polarization sensitivity. Differences in optical phase retardation produced by articular cartilage and meniscus are observed when the incident angle of the scanning light beam is adjusted between 0 and 90 deg relative to the tissue surface. Directional polarization sensitivity of articular cartilage and meniscus as obtained by PS-OCT imaging using variations in the angle of incident illumination can be used to assess the orientation and organization of the collagen matrix of these tissues. The polarization sensitivity as evidenced by the Stokes vector and optical phase retardation images can be explained by the orientation of the angle of illumination relative to the unique structural organization of the collagen fibrils and fibers of articular cartilage and meniscus.