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Streaming potentials during the confined compression creep test of normal and proteoglycan-depleted cartilage

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Abstract

The streaming potential response of cartilage in the confined compression creep configuration was assessed theoretically and measured experimentally in normal and proteoglycan-depleted tissue. The analytical solution, using the linear biphasic continuum model including electrokinetics and assuming homogeneous material properties, predicted that: (i) the peak streaming potentials is ΔV=ke·Δσ, where ke is the electrokinetic coefficient and Δσ is the change in compressive stress; (ii) the potential is maintained at 95 to 100% of the peak value of 0<t<0.10τ, where τ is the gel diffusion time constant; and (iii) during short times, 0<t<0.01 τ, 90% of the peak streaming potential occurs over a region extending 23% into the tissue sample. Experimentally, adult bovine cartilage disks, 0.5 mm thick, were subjected to step changes of compressive stress. The measured changes in potential indicated a linear response for changes in stress up to 0.10 MPa. The ke of normal cartilage, estimated from the short time (0<t<2 sec) change in potential, was −1.65±1.25 mV/MPa. Digestion of cartilage by chondroitinase ABC resulted in an increased (less negative) ke of −0.75±0.70 mV/MPa and a 33±29% depletion of anionic glycosaminoglycan, whereas digestion with trypsin resulted in a further increase in ke to +1.64±0.95 mV/MPa and a 98±1% depletion of glycosaminoglycan. The streaming potential measurement may be a useful addition to the widely used confined compression creep test to assess cartilage material properties.

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Abbreviations

δ:

specimen thickness

ke :

electrokientic coefficient

kij :

electrokinetic coupling coefficients (i,j=1,2)

kp :

open circuit hydraulic permeability

HA :

equilibrium confined compression modulus

J:

current density

Pf :

fluid pressure

s:

sample standard deviation

σo, Δσ:

applied compressive stress, change in applied compressive stress

t, ť:

time, normalized time

tp :

duration of a pulse in stress

τ:

gel diffusion time

u, û:

displacement, normalized displacement

U:

fluid velocity relative to solid phase

\(V,\hat V\) :

electrical potential, normalized potential

\(\Delta V,\hat V_{OC} \) :

open circuit streaming potential, normalized streaming potential

z, ž:

position relative to the articular surface, normalized position

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of California-San, Diego, La Jolla, CA

    Albert C. Chen, Tara T. Nguyen & Robert L. Sah

  2. Department of Bioengineering, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0412, 92093-0412, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A.

    Albert C. Chen, Tara T. Nguyen & Robert L. Sah

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Chen, A.C., Nguyen, T.T. & Sah, R.L. Streaming potentials during the confined compression creep test of normal and proteoglycan-depleted cartilage. Ann Biomed Eng 25, 269–277 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02648041

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