ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a description of how the composition, including water, and how the microscopic arrangement of the structural molecules might influence the viscoelastic properties of connective tissues. It describes the mechanical behavior of articular cartilage and meniscus under various loading conditions and explains how one may separate the frictional effects of interstitial fluid flow through the tissue from the intrinsic mechanical properties of the porous collagen/proteoglycan solid matrix. It is necessary to know the composition and structure of cartilaginous tissues and the composite multiphasic nature of the tissue to understand their mechanical and functional properties. The chapter describes the actual experimental determinations of the viscoelasticity of cartilaginous tissues, including the measurement of the equilibrium moduli and hydraulic permeabilities, and the response of cartilaginous tissues in tension, compression, and shear. Cartilage strips pulled in uniaxial tension at high strains show stiffness and strength characteristics that depend upon the nature of the collagen framework.
