Summary: Due to the presence of fixed charges in articular cartilage, the tissue in situ is in a swollen state with its associated pre-stresses. In this paper, the triphasic theory, which models the tissue as a mixture of three phases (solid, fluid and ions), is used to predict the swelling-induced stresses and strains in a geometrically simplified (spherical layer) model of articular cartilage on the femoral or humoral head. The model predictions indicate that the residual stresses and strains depend strongly on the magnitude and distribution of the fixed charged density, matrix stiffness and the curvature of the layer of the tissue. This study indicates that specific models for each diarthrodial joint and cartilage layer must be developed in order to assess the relative importance of these three factors on influencing the residual-stress states within the tissue.
For the entire collection see [Zbl 0840.00046].