Related Media Gallery for MU Study Finds that Gravity, ‘Mechanical Loading’ are Key to Cartilage Development
August 22nd, 2017
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Figure 1
The spectrum of mechanical loading conditions applied to articular cartilage in the synovial joint. At one end of the spectrum, articular cartilage is subjected to cyclic hydrostatic pressure when an individual walks or runs. Alternatively, astronauts on long-term space missions experience mechanical unloading within their joints. To simulate these conditions experimentally, loading can be simulated using a hydrostatic pressure vessel and unloading can be simulated in a rotating wall vessel bioreactors. Courtesy of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.
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Elizabeth Loboa
Elizabeth Loboa and her team determined that microgravity may inhibit cartilage formation. Findings reveal that fracture healing for astronauts in space, as well as patients on bed rest here on Earth, could be compromised in the absence of mechanical loading. Photo:
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