Publication detail

Biotribology of Synovial Cartilage: A New Method for Visualization of Lubricating Film and Simultaneous Measurement of the Friction Coefficient

ČÍPEK, P. VRBKA, M. REBENDA, D. NEČAS, D. KŘUPKA, I.

Original Title

Biotribology of Synovial Cartilage: A New Method for Visualization of Lubricating Film and Simultaneous Measurement of the Friction Coefficient

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

A healthy natural synovial joint is very important for painless active movement of the natural musculoskeletal system. The right functioning of natural synovial joints ensures well lubricated contact surfaces with a very low friction coefficient and wear of cartilage tissue. The present paper deals with a new method for visualization of lubricating film with simultaneous measurements of the friction coefficient. This can contribute to better understanding of lubricating film formation in a natural synovial joint. A newly developed device, a reciprocating tribometer, is used to allow for simultaneous measurement of friction forces with contact visualization by fluorescence microscopy. The software allowing for snaps processing and subsequent evaluation of fluorescence records is developed. The evaluation software and the follow-up evaluation procedure are also described. The experiments with cartilage samples and model synovial fluid are carried out, and the new software is applied to provide their evaluation. The primary results explaining a connection between lubrication and friction are presented. The results show a more significant impact of albumin proteins on the lubrication process, whereas its clusters create a more stable lubrication layer. A decreasing trend of protein cluster count, which corresponds to a decrease in the thickness of the lubrication film, is found in all experiments. The results highlight a deeper connection between the cartilage friction and the lubrication film formation, which allows for better understanding of the cartilage lubrication mechanism.

Keywords

biotribology; cartilage; reciprocating tribometer; friction; lubrication; fluorescence microscopy

Authors

ČÍPEK, P.; VRBKA, M.; REBENDA, D.; NEČAS, D.; KŘUPKA, I.

Released

30. 4. 2020

Publisher

MDPI

Location

Basilej, Švýcarsko

ISBN

1996-1944

Periodical

Materials

Year of study

13

Number

9

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

20

Pages count

20

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/9/2075

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/187002

BibTex

@article{BUT163869,
  author="Pavel {Čípek} and Martin {Vrbka} and David {Rebenda} and David {Nečas} and Ivan {Křupka}",
  title="Biotribology of Synovial Cartilage: A New Method for Visualization of Lubricating Film and Simultaneous Measurement of the Friction Coefficient",
  journal="Materials",
  year="2020",
  volume="13",
  number="9",
  pages="1--20",
  doi="10.3390/ma13092075",
  issn="1996-1944",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/9/2075"
}