ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the structure and material properties of several common soft tissues, such as cartilage, ligaments, and intervertebral discs (IVDs). Articular cartilage is porous and consists of a multiphasic material containing a fluid phase and a solid phase. Thus, its mechanical properties vary with its fluid content. Furthermore, cartilage is anisotropic due to its structural variations. The major components of the ligaments are collagen and ground substances. Collagen fibers are arranged in an orientation that provides motion and stability for the biological system. Ligaments have significant time-dependent and history-dependent viscoelastic properties. The annulus and nucleus in the IVD are both multiphasic, which bear load and absorb energy under compression.