Experimental and numerical investigation of the behaviour of articular cartilage under shear loading—Interstitial fluid pressurisation and lubrication mechanisms

In this paper, the mechanical and frictional responses of articular cartilage when subjected to alternating shearing forces under a constant load were investigated. Shear testing was performed at physiological contact pressures to ascertain the influence of interstitial fluid support on the evolution of frictional forces during cyclic loading.Numerical studies were also performed using the finite element software Abaqus. The tissue was modelled as a biphasic material with strain dependent permeability. The influence of the material characteristics on the lubrication mechanisms occurring when cartilage is subject to compression and shear was studied to corroborate the experimental findings.