Simultaneous measurement of stiffness and energy absorptive properties of articular cartilage and subchondral trabecular bone.

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for simultaneous measurement of the mechanical properties of articular cartilage and underlying trabecular bone. Cylindrical bone-cartilage specimens from human cadaver knees were tested under non-destructive axial compression. The specimens wer mounted in a cage by three screws fixed to the subchondral bone plate to create a reference plane between the cartilage and the bone. Each test was carried out as a single test cycle between a 0.12 MPa (4 N) pre-stress and 0.5 per cent bone strain. Twenty conditioning cycles were performed prior to each test cycle. In order to determine the reproducibility of the test method, the test procedure was repeated after turning the cage through 90 degrees. The specimens were then kept at +5 degrees C for 24 hours, and the procedure was repeated. The normalized stiffness and energy absorptive properties were calculated from each test cycle. No significant difference was found between the results obtained on the first and on the second day. Both days the stiffness of cartilage was significantly larger during the second test, indicating that 20 conditioning cycles may not provide a viscoelastic steady state.