Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Articular cartilage, the soft tissue covering the ends of articulating bones, plays a crucial role in facilitating smooth joint movement.This specialized connective tissue is avascular and lacks nerve supply, which limits its ability to heal following injury.The traumatic damage to articular cartilage often goes undetected in standard clinical assessments, making early detection of degeneration essential.Identifying and monitoring articular cartilage health could enable timely interventions to prevent the progression to posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA)-an irreversible condition characterized by cartilage erosion, joint pain, and diminished mobility.Currently, the evaluation of cartilage injuries is primarily conducted through arthroscopy, relying on subjective visual assessments and manual palpation, which are inherently variable.This thesis investigates the optical properties (πa and π's) of articular cartilage, particularly in the context of osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases.Articular cartilage exhibits unique structural and compositional characteristics that influence its optical behavior.However, it is not fully understood how these properties vary with tissue depth and integrity.Study I addressed the limited understanding of the variation in optical properties along articular cartilage depth and its correlation with the tissue's integrity.By exploring the depth-wise differences in optical characteristics, this study aims to establish a link between these properties and the underlying tissue structure and composition, providing insights into the implications for cartilage health assessment.Study II highlighted a notable gap in the literature regarding the quantitative analysis of the refractive index (RI) in relation to tissue structure and composition.By examining these relationships, this research enhances our understanding of how optical
Author: Khan, Bilour
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
OpenAlex ID: W7215343720