Isotropic molecular diffusion in young porcine articular cartilage

Articular cartilage (AC) is a fibre-reinforced connective tissue that covers the ends of articulating bones, providing joint lubrication, and thus allowing for smooth movement. Since AC is avascular, nutrients and proteins primarily transport via molecular diffusion. Thus, AC behavior has been extensively studied. For a mature animal, diffusion of large molecules in the superficial zone, where fibres are aligned along the surface, is anisotropic. Here, we report on the diffusion behaviour in young porcine AC. Our preliminary results show that the molecular diffusion in a young animal is isotropic, in contrast with the case of adult AC, suggesting that skeletal maturation of the tissue may play a key role in the diffusion behaviour and biological responses of AC.