Collagen damage location in articular cartilage differs if damage is caused by excessive loading magnitude or rate

Collagen damage in articular cartilage is considered nearly irreversible and may be an early indication of cartilage degeneration. Surface fibrillation and internal collagen damage may both develop after overloading. This study hypothesizes that damage develops at these different locations, because the distribution of excessive strains varies with loading rate as a consequence of time-dependent cartilage properties. The objective is to explore whether collagen damage could preferentially occur superficially or internally, depending on the magnitude and rate of overloading. Bovine osteochondral plugs were compressed with a 2 mm diameter indenter to 15, 25, 35 and 45 N, and at 5, 60 and 120 mm/min. Surface fibrillation and internal collagen damage were graded by four observers, based on histology and staining of collagen damage. Results show that loading magnitude affects the degree of collagen damage, while loading rate dominates the location of network damage: low rates predominantly damage superficial collagen, while at high rates, internal collagen damage occurs. The proposed explanation for the rate-dependent location is that internal fluid flows govern the time-dependent internal tissue deformation and therewith the location of overstained and damaged areas. This supports the hypothesis that collagen damage development is influenced by the time-dependent material behaviour of cartilage.