Friday, February 2, 2007
Professor
Gerard A. Ateshian
Departments
of Mechanical Engineering and
Biomedical
Engineering
Columbia
University
ÒApplications
of Mixture Theory to Cartilage Mechanics and
Tissue
EngineeringÓ
Abstract:
Biological tissues are
characterized by their heterogeneous composition and porous-hydrated
nature. The interstitial fluid of
biological tissues typically consists of a solution of electrolytes and a
variety of macromolecules. Mixture
theory provides a versatile and powerful framework for studying mechanics and
transport characteristics in biological tissues. In addition, mixture theory may be extended to incorporate
the effects of chemical reactions, providing a framework for studying growth
and remodeling of native tissues, as well as tissue engineering, in response to
mechano-electrochemical stimuli.
This presentation will illustrate various applications of mixture theory
to the study of cartilage mechanics and lubrication, chondrocyte response to
osmotic loading, and cartilage tissue engineering.