Agarici, Luca-Barbu (2025) Modeling the mechanical behavior of Articular Cartilage via Molecular Dynamics: a simplified computational approach. Bachelor's Thesis, Biomedical Engineering.
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Abstract
Understanding the mechanical behavior of biological tissues is essential for advancing both medical research and clinical practice. Among these tissues, articular cartilage stands out due to its unique anisotropic and depth-dependent structure, which enables it to perform critical functions such as load distribution and joint lubrication. However, this same complexity makes it difficult to study through experimental methods alone, due to its small size, structural heterogeneity, and limited regenerative capacity imply significant challenges. To address these limitations, computational modeling has emerged as a powerful tool for simulating cartilage behavior under various mechanical conditions. This thesis presents a simplified model designed to capture key features of cartilage, including density and stiffness changes. Through tensile and compressive loading simulations, the model is evaluated for its ability to sustain mechanical deformation similar to real cartilage. Although the model is simplified, it is still representative of showcasing how the tissue behaves. We found that our structure, due to its anisotropy, distributes the load mostly in the bottom layer, and during the deformation, it is crucial that the fibers are allowed to rearrange to better withstand the stress. This ability is heavily influenced by the stiffness and the density of crosslinking. These findings establish a foundation for more advanced, biologically detailed simulations.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
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| Supervisor name: | Giuntoli, A. and Sharma, P.K. |
| Degree programme: | Biomedical Engineering |
| Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Jul 2025 12:59 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Jul 2025 12:59 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/35691 |
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