ABSTRACT
Special note is made of two researchers, D. A. Swann and Drs. Leon Sokolo, who considered biochemistry as an important factor in synovial joint lubrication. Two more recent studies are of interest since cartilage wear was considered although not as a part of a theory of joint lubrication. G. W. Stachowiak et al. investigated the friction and wear characteristics of adult rat femur cartilage against a stainless-steel plate using an environmental scanning microscope to examine damaged cartilage. The Malcom work represents a superb piece of systematic research along the lines of mechanical, dynamic, rheological, and viscoelastic behavior-one important dimension of synovial joint lubrication. All of the theories focus on friction, none address wear, many do not involve experimental studies with cartilage, and very few consider the complexity and detailed biochemistry of the synovial-fluid articular-cartilage system.
