Abstract #1236

Besier T, Beaupre G, Draper C, Delp S, Gold G

Articular cartilage thickness affects cartilage stress during joint loading. In vivo measurements of cartilage thickness at the patellofemoral joint may help to understand normal and pathological joint mechanics. Since cartilage stress is higher in regions of joint contact, estimates of the cartilage thickness in these regions may be more relevant than previous thickness estimates. We defined regions of joint contact during knee flexion and used MR images to estimate the cartilage thickness of young, healthy males and females in these regions. We found that males had thicker load-bearing cartilage on the patella and anterior femur than females.