A tetrapolar method to measure electrical conductivity of cartilage and bone, and to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage attached to bone, was developed. We determined the electrical conductivity of humeral head bovine articular cartilage and subchondral bone from a 1- to 2-year-old steer to be and respectively. For a 4-year-old cow, articular cartilage and subchondral bone electrical conductivity were and respectively. Measurements on slices of cartilage taken from different distances from the articular surface of the steer did not reveal significant depth-dependence of electrical conductivity. We were able to estimate the thickness of articular cartilage with reasonable precision error) by injecting current from multiple electrode pairs with different inter-electrode distances. Requirements for the precision of this method to measure cartilage thickness include the presence of a distinct layer of calcified cartilage or bone with a much lower electrical conductivity than that of uncalcified articular cartilage, and the use of inter-electrode distances of the current injecting electrodes that are on the order of the cartilage thickness. These or similar methods present an attractive approach to the non-destructive determination of cartilage thickness, a parameter that is required in order to estimate functional properties of cartilage attached to bone, and evaluate the need for therapeutic interventions in arthritis.
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August 2004
Technical Papers
Tetrapolar Measurement of Electrical Conductivity and Thickness of Articular Cartilage
J. S. Binette,
J. S. Binette
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
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M. D. McKee,
M. D. McKee
Faculty of Dentistry, and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montre´al, Que´bec, Canada
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M. D. Buschmann
M. D. Buschmann
Department of Chemical Engineering, E´cole Polytechnique, Montre´al, Que´bec, Canada
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J. S. Binette
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
M. Garon
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
P. Savard
Department of Electrical Engineering
M. D. McKee
Faculty of Dentistry, and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montre´al, Que´bec, Canada
M. D. Buschmann
Department of Chemical Engineering, E´cole Polytechnique, Montre´al, Que´bec, Canada
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Bioengineering Division June 16, 2003; revision received December 23, 2003. Associate Editor: G. A. Aleshian.
J Biomech Eng. Aug 2004, 126(4): 475-484 (10 pages)
Published Online: September 27, 2004
Article history
Received:
June 16, 2003
Revised:
December 23, 2003
Online:
September 27, 2004
Citation
Binette , J. S., Garon, M., Savard, P., McKee, M. D., and Buschmann, M. D. (September 27, 2004). "Tetrapolar Measurement of Electrical Conductivity and Thickness of Articular Cartilage ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. August 2004; 126(4): 475–484. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1785805
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