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Preliminary evaluation of full volume strain measurement in patellar cartilage following osteochondral allograft transplantation using magnetic resonance imaging

Hernández Lamberty MA, Villacís Núñez CN, Scheven U, Grant JA, Arruda EM, Coleman RM

Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 2025

2 citations

Abstract

Introduction: Articular cartilage (AC) defects of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) are clinically challenging and mechanically demanding. Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is the standard treatment for large cartilage injuries; however, little is known about intra-tissue mechanics after transplantation. Computational models suggest that cartilage thickness mismatch concentrates stresses at donor-recipient interfaces in OCA-treated patella, but direct experimental evidence is scarce. Local cartilage strain is closely linked to tissue health; therefore, the goal of this work was to provide a preliminary, full volume assessment of patellar cartilage mechanics before and after OCA transplantation.

Methods: A displacement-encoded MRI sequence was used to quantify full volume displacement and strain fields in human patellar AC before and after OCA transplantation under controlled indentation. Intact cadaveric patellae (n = 4) were prepared, with three serving as recipients and one as donor. Samples were cyclically compressed in a custom-built rig using nominal displacements of 1 and 2 mm. The complex phase data were unwrapped and converted to displacements; the Green-Lagrange strain tensor was computed using a finite element framework in FEniCS. Minimum principal strain ( Emin ) and maximum shear strain ( Emaxshear ) were analyzed. Donor-recipient step-off distance, representing cartilage-level geometric mismatch, was measured at the graft interface.

Results: Global…

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