Nikita Garnov1,2, Wilfried Grnder2
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; 2Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Collagen fibres together with proteoglycans and water form a three-dimensional network of articular cartilage and provide this tissue its unique biomechanical properties. Mechanical stress leads to deformations of collagen matrix which have been assessed by microscopic studies. A crimping or a bending of collagen fibres under pressure was observed. However, the deformation included the bending and the crimping was also described. In the present work, the load conditioned changing of collagen fiber orientation by means of T2-weighted MR images was observed. In this way, the cartilage matrix deformation at nearby in-vivo-conditions could be considered.