Hyperosmolaric contrast agents in cartilage tomography may expose cartilage to overload-induced cell death.

• In clinical arthrographic examination, strong hypertonic contrast agents are injected directly into the joint space. This may reduce the stiffness of articular cartilage, which is further hypothesized to lead to overload-induced cell death. We investigated the cell death in articular cartilage while the tissue was compressed in situ in physiological saline solution and in full strength hypertonic X-ray contrast agent Hexabrix(TM). Samples were prepared from bovine patellae and stored in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium overnight. Further, impact tests with or without creep were conducted for the samples with contact stresses and creep times changing from 1 MPa to 10 MPa and from 0 min to 15 min, respectively. Finally, depth-dependent cell viability was assessed with a confocal microscope. In order to characterize changes in the biomechanical properties of cartilage as a result of the use of Hexabrix™, stress-relaxation tests were conducted for the samples immersed in Hexabrix™ and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Both dynamic and equilibrium modulus of the samples immersed in Hexabrix™ were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those of the samples immersed in PBS. Cartilage samples immersed in physiological saline solution showed load-induced cell death primarily in the superficial and middle zones. However, under high 8-10 MPa contact stresses, the samples immersed in full strength Hexabrix™ showed significantly (p<0.05) higher number of dead cells than the samples compressed in physiological saline, especially in the deep zone of cartilage. In conclusion, excessive loading stresses followed by tissue creep might increase the risk for chondrocyte death in articular cartilage when immersed in hypertonic X-ray contrast agent, especially in the deep zone of cartilage.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Ortopedi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Orthopaedics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Articular cartilage

Biomechanics

Indentation

Osteoarthritis

Artrography

Confacal microscope

Constrast agent

Osmotic pressure

biomechanics

biomekanik

ortopedi

Orthopaedics

Radiology

radiologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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