OSTEOCHONDRAL INJURY DURING SIMULATED DROP LANDING COMPRESSION: PRE AND POST IMPACT MICRO-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

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The purpose of this study was to investigate osteochondral injuries due to impact load. Average nominal strain of 34%±5% was applied to equine osteochondral plugs. The deformation of cartilage and bone on one plane was measured using real-time imaging during the impact. High resolution micro-computed tomography prior to and following the loading was used to investigate the extent of the damage to the specimens. The average peak strain in bone and cartilage was 0.11±0.01 and 0.20±0.08, respectively. Microfractures were found in the µCT images in the subchondral bone, ranging from 200µm to 30µm wide. The 3D images of micro-fractures, obtained here, can be used for future studies of bone remodeling as a result of such impact-induced damages. The strain in the bone was significantly large indicating the ability of bone to absorb the impact energy.