8 Cartilage biomechanics



  • Musculoskeletal soft tissue
    • articular cartilage
    • tendon
    • ligament
    • intervertebral disc
    • muscle.

  • Soft tissues are structural
    • must withstand large loads while providing kinematic constraint
    • typically fail at much higher strains than bone and are usually nonlinear and time dependent (viscoelasticity)