Description
Richly illustrated throughout with actual tissue images, this innovative book shows that the soft-hard tissue junction is best understood in a biomechanical context. The authors describe their pioneering experimental methods, providing an essential structure-function framework for computational modelling, and thereby encouraging the development of more realistic, predictive models of this important tissue junction. Covering the three main musculoskeletal junctions of cartilage-bone, disc-vertebra, and ligament/tendon-bone, the relevant soft tissues are examined with respect to both their own inherent structure and their mode of integration with the hard tissue. The soft-hard tissue interface is explored with a focus on structural damage resulting from overloading, and its associated pathologies. Adopting a multiscale approach, ranging in structural resolution from the macro to fibril levels, this is a must-have guide to the field and an ideal resource for researchers seeking new and creative approaches for studying the joint and spine tissues.
Table of Contents
Part I. The Osteochondral System: 1. General principles relating to the joint tissues and their function; 2. The osteochondral junction; 3. Failure of the osteochondral junction; 4. Shear failure of the osteochondral junction; 5. A large in vivo model exploring extreme physiological loading of the osteochondral tissues; Part II. The Intervertebral Disc-Endplate System: 6. Relevant anatomy and macro-level structure; 7. The elastic fibre component in the disc; 8. Detailed analysis of the disc-endplate system; 9. Structure of the nucleus and its relation to annulus and endplate; 10. Experimental investigation of failure of the annulus-endplate junction region; 11. Endplate involvement in whole disc failure; 12. Micromechanics of failure of the disc-endplate system under realistic loading; Part III. The Enthesis: 13. Tendon and ligament biomechanics; 14. The enthesis: composition, structure and function; 15. Exploring enthesis structure-function relationships; 16. Managing the modulus mismatch.
