MRI-Based Strains and Relaxation Mapping in Human OA Articular Cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of articular cartilage in synovial joints. The mechanical function of cartilage declines during OA progression, including the softening of the tissue coupled with increased friction and wear [1,2]. Structurally, cartilage wear is regionally nonuniform over the entire articular surface, and load-bearing regions often show more OA severity compared to non-load-bearing regions in the same joint [2].