The biomechanical ambiguity of the articular surface.

A series of micromechanical tests carried out on the articular surface of cartilage have provided an accurate description of the mechanical properties of any one site with respect to the orientation framework obtained from its characteristic split-line direction. Ultrastructural studies revealed little evidence that the split-line direction correlated strongly with any preferred alignment of fibrils. This paper therefore offers a new interpretation of the biomechanical significance of the widely used split-line test for the articular surface of cartilage.