Abstract
Dynamic deformation of chondrocytes are associated with cell mechanotransduction and thus may offer a new understanding of the mechanobiology of articular cartilage. Despite extensive research on chondrocyte deformations for static conditions, work for dynamic conditions remains rare. However, it is these dynamic conditions that articular cartilage in joints are exposed to everyday, and that seem to promote biological signaling in chondrocytes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop an experimental technique to determine the in situ deformations of chondrocytes when the cartilage is dynamically compressed. We hypothesized that dynamic deformations of chondrocytes vastly differ from those observed under steady-state static strain conditions. Real-time chondrocyte geometry was reconstructed at 10, 15, and 20% compression during ramp compressions with 20% ultimate strain, applied at a strain rate of 0.2% s−1, followed by stress relaxation. Dynamic compressive chondrocyte deformations were non-linear as a function of nominal strain, with large deformations in the early and small deformations in the late part of compression. Early compression (up to about 10%) was associated with chondrocyte volume loss, while late compression (> ~ 10%) was associated with cell deformation but minimal volume loss. Force continued to decrease for 5 min in the stress-relaxation phase, while chondrocyte shape/volume remained unaltered after the first minute of stress-relaxation.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by The Canada Research Chair Programme for Molecular and Cellular Biomechanics [Grant Number 950-230603, 2015], The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Foundation scheme grant [Grant Number MOP-111205, 2015], The Killam Foundation, and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions [Award Number 201610102, 2016]. The authors have no competing interests to declare. This work was carried out in accordance with the University of Calgary guidelines with ethical approve AC18-0082.
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Komeili, A., Otoo, B.S., Abusara, Z. et al. Chondrocyte Deformations Under Mild Dynamic Loading Conditions. Ann Biomed Eng 49, 846–857 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02615-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02615-9