Quantitative measurement of the biological response of cartilage to mechanical deformation

Cartilage functionality is defined, in part, in terms of the ability of the extracellular matrix to support a mechanical load. It has been shown that such mechanical loading can influence the biological response of the chondrocytes that are embedded in the extracellular matrix. Cultured tissue explants have served as useful models for studying such chondrocyte-mediated responses to mechanical deformation. The explant paradigm facilitates the control of mechanical and biological variables that may influence cellular behavior. This chapter presents the means for assessing the biologic response of cartilage to controlled mechanical stimuli, and lays the foundation to further explore the response of cartilage to mechanical stimuli in the presence of other factors, such as cytokines and growth factors (e.g., IL-1β, TGF-β, IGF).