Study on mechanisms of the development of Joint disease focused on microstructure of articular cartilage

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20682
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: Osawa Takako 近畿大学, 生物理工学部, 助教 (30638193)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 関節軟骨 / 局所変形 / 有限要素解析 / 力学特性 / 軟骨軟化 / 軟骨下骨硬化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mechanism of joint disease caused by changes in the mechanical properties of cartilage will be substantiated using a mechanical model of cartilage based on microstructure. Useful measured data in the cartilage tissue, which is the input data of the mechanical model, was measured using dynamic X-ray phase-contrast CT. Local softening due to cartilage degeneration was evaluated by investigating the effect of a decrease in the elastic modulus of the surface layer. The hip joint model was reproduced from the medical CT image, but only one layer could be reproduced for the cartilage layer due to the limitation of the element division algorithm. Reproduction of subchondral bone and bone using an original articular cartilage model became an issue.

Free Research Field

生体工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

軟骨の力学特性(弾性係数)の変化と力学環境(ひずみ)との因果関係を定量的に評価可能な関節疾患モデルの実現を本課題の学術的問いの一つとして位置付けているが，最も重要視していることは今までできなかった組織変性の影響を詳細に解析することにより，軟骨力学特性変化が起源となる関節疾患の発症・進展メカニズムを明らかにすることである．本研究のように軟骨内部の特性変化に着目した研究はほとんど行われていない．今回は関節構造が単純な股関節を対象として関節疾患モデルを実証するが，他の対象部位の医用画像を用いれば膝，肩，脊柱などの関節への応用性も充分に考えられる．