Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026
A Probing Device for Quantitatively Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Soft Tissues during Arthroscopy
Published on: May 1, 2020
X-ray detection of structural orientation in human articular cartilage
Carol Muehleman1, Sharmila Majumdar, Ahi Sema Issever
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush Medical College, IL 60612, Chicago, USA. cmuehleman@rushu.rush.edu
Objective:
To determine the feasibility of detecting the structural orientation in cartilage with Diffraction Enhanced X-Ray Imaging.
Design:
Human tali and femoral head specimens were Diffraction Enhanced X-Ray Imaged (DEI) at the SYRMEP beamline at Elettra at various energy levels to detect the architectural arrangement of collagen within cartilage. DEI utilizes a monochromatic and highly collimated beam, with an analyzer crystal that selectively weights out photons according to the angle they have been deviated with respect to the original direction. This provides images of very high contrast, and with the rejection of X-ray scatter.
Results:
DEI allowed the visualization of articular cartilage and a structural orientation, resembling arcades, within.
Conclusion:
Our diffraction enhanced images represent the first radiographic detection of the structural orientation in cartilage. Our data are in line with previous studies on the structural organization of joint cartilage. They confirm the model of a vaulting system of collagen fiber bundles interrupted by proteoglycan aggregates.
Related Concept Videos
02:18X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:27Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...