Ultrasound elastography of articular cartilage: a preliminary study

Multi-layered structure is one of the most important feature of articular cartilage. The pathological conditions of articular cartilage (AC), such as osteoarthritis, are usually accompanied with the change of biomechanical properties in different layers. An approach for the mapping of the biomechanical properties of the individual layers of AC will be extremely helpful for the diagnosis of osteoarthristis in its early stage. An ultrasonic-mechanical testing apparatus has been developed for this purpose. The development of the testing method and some preliminary results are presented.