I Blomecchunirs. 1972. Vol. 5,pp. 541-551.

PeqamonPress.

Printed inGreat

Britain

A MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS TESTS OF ARTICULAR

W. C. HAYES,

FOR INDENTATION CARTILAGE*

and L. F. MOCKROS

L. M. KEER, G. HERRMANN+

The Technological Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. 60201, U.S.A. A mathematical model is developed for indentation tests of articular cartilage. The cartilage, normally bonded to the subchondral bone, is modeled as an infinite elastic layer bonded to a rigid half space, and the indenter is assumed to be a rigid axisymmettic punch. The problem is formulated as a mixed boundary value problem of the theory of elasticity and solutions are obtained for the indentation of the layer by the plane end of a rigid circular cylinder and by a rigid sphere. Subject to detailed verification with independent tests, the present solutions are suggested as useful for the determination of the elastic shear modulus of intact cartilage. Abstract-

step loads noted in these investigations is is a noninflammatory dis- an instantaneous indentation followed by a order of synovial joints characterized by time-dependent creep to an asymptotic deterioration of the articular cartilage and indentation. No significant differences were by formation of new subchondml and marginal found as a function of age in either the bone. Since the process is particularly severe deformability or recovery of adult articular in joints exposed to high compressive forces, cartilage. Large differences were found, mechanical factors are assumed to play some however, between the deformabilities of role in the pathogenesis of the disease normal and osteo&hritic tissue. (Sokoloff, 1969). Experimental studies of The derivation of meamngful material the mechanical properties of articular cartil- properties from indentation tests of the age, however, have not clearly elucidated the articular structures has been complicated by early development of osteoarthritis nor have the lack of theoretical solutions for the comanalytical studies fully considered the role plex stress distributions arising from the layerplayed by cartilage in load transmission in ed geometry. Several previous attempts to obtain elastic constants from indention tests normal and pathological synovial joints. Indentation tests have been used in assumed a uniaxial stress field beneath the previous investigations of the mechanical indenter. This assumption ignores important characteristics of articuiar cartilage. Such edge effects occurring with indenters that tests have examined the influence of immer- have contact areas whose diameters are sion (Elmore er al., 1963), the chemical comparable to the cartilage thickness. Other characteristics of the immersion medium determinations were based on solutions for (Sokoloff, 1963), age (Sokoloff, 1966; Krako- the puncture of an elastomer or on hardness vits, 1969a), site of indentation (Kempson tests, both of which ignore the presence of et al., 197 1; Krakovits, 1969b) and the a layered geometry. Several investigators have applied well degenerative state of the tissue (Hirsch, 1944; defined stress fields such as axial compression Sokoloff, 1966) on cartilage deformability. The characteristic mechanical response to (McCutchen, 1962; Camosso and Marotti,
OSTEOARTHRITIS *Receitied 28 December 1970.
541

INTRODUCTION

tPresent address: Department of Applied Mechanics. Stanford University, Stanford. California 94305, U.S.A.

542

W. C. HAYES

et al.
ANALYTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

1962), uniaxial strain (Edwards, 1967) and uniaxial tension (Kempson et al., 1968) in studies of the mechanical behavior of specimens of articular car&ge. A recent investigation, based on two independent creep tests of cylindrical cartilage samples, presented cartilage constitutive relations suitable for the viscoelastic stress analysis of synovial joints (Hayes and MO&OS, 1971). All experimental methods based on the use of standardized cartilage samples are not, however, suitable for use on intact cartilage. Interest in the development of suitable in uivo tests for cartilage properties and in the mechanisms of load transmission in normal and pathological synovial joints prompted this analytical investigation of cartilage indentation. Previous theoretical analyses of the load response of the a3ticuIar structures have been hampered by the lack of appropriate constitutive relations for cartilage and complicated by the presence of the layered geometry. Zarek and Edwards (1963) used the Hertz solution for the contact of elastic spheres in an attempt to correlate the observed fibrilIar ultrastructure with the predicted distribution of tensile stresses. Burstein (1968) calculated stress distributions and displacements in three-layered spherical and cylindrical geometries under the action of axially symmetric surface tractions but did not consider the case of two contacting surfaces. The present investigation considers the indentation mechanics of an infinite elastic layer bonded to a rigid half-space as a model for the layered geometry of cartilage and subchondral bone. The analysis is formulated as a mixed boundary value problem of the theory of elasticity. It is based on the technique of Lebedev and Ufliand (1958) for the indentation by an axially symmetric indenter of an unbonded layer resting on a rigid half-space. The present investigation exploits the Lebedev and Ufliand solution for the case of a bonded layer indented by the plane end of a rigid circular cylinder or by a rigid sphere.

The elastic contact problem is formulated by considering he equilibrium of an infinite elastic layer resting on an immovable rigid half-space. The layer deforms under the action of a rigid axisymmetric punch pressed normal to the surface by an axial force P (Figs. 1 and 2). Shear tractions between punch and layer are assumed negligible and the layer is assumed to adhere to the half-space at the sulfacez=h. Under these assumptions the problem is represented mathematically by a mixed boundary value problem satisfying the field equations of the linear theory of elasticity for homogeneous, isotropic materials. The displacement equations are written as (1-2V)v%l+v(vu) =o

(1)

in which body forces and inertial effects are neglected, u is the displacement vector, v is Poissons ratio, and V is the gradient operator. The boundary conditions at the surface I= 0 are mixed with respect to normal traction and displacement, the shear stress being zero over the entire surface. At z = h, the adhesion condition requires the displacements to be prescribed as zero. In cylindrical coordinates, (r, 8, z), the boundary conditions are
u, =
00

-q(r)

O=SrGa,z=O

a <r<=,z=O urz = 0 and u, = l4, =O

Ocr<m,z=h,
OCr<m,z=O

(2)

(3)

in which (u?, 0, u,) are the components of the displacement vector, and uzrrand errs are the normal and tangential stress components, respectively. The prescribed elastic displacement of the center of the punch (r = 0) in the z direction is given by wo, and Wr)

A MATHEMATICAL

ANALYSIS

543

I p

a+= I
20

oa [C(A)shA(h-zz)
+D(h)chA(h-z)]JoW dx, (6)

Fig. 1. Geometry for the plane-ended cylindrical indenter.

e5
- -- -___

iwo
!

in which A, B, C, and D are functions of A to be determined from the boundary conditions (2) and (3) and Jo(x) is the Bessel function of order zero. By using boundary conditions (3) with equations (4) and (6), A and B may be determined in terms of C and D as A(h) =-hC(A)and B(A) = -hD(A).
(7)

expresses the axisymmetric shape of the indenter (Timoshenko and Goodier, 1970)*, and the radius of the contact region is a. The solution of the axisymmetric contact problem is conveniently achieved in terms of the Boussinesq-Papkovitch potential functions for the representation of the components of the displacement vector, i.e.

(3 D(h) A4V)

The third condition of (2) with equations (5) and (6) leads to
D(A) = ( 1 - 2~) shAh - Ahchhh 2(1 -v)chhh+hhshhh ().

()

in which @, and a, are harmonic functions in the layer, 0 s z s h, and G is the elastic shear modulus. Normal and tangential stress components are given in terms of the displacement potentials as

The remaining conditions are the first two of equations (2) which lead to the following dual integral equations I 0a C(A)J,(Ar) dA = 0
(r > a)

(9)

a C(A)M(A)J,,(Ar) dA- &""--"WI I0

(r a), (10) <

and
R

!
+

The harmonic functions in equations (4) and (5) are written in the form

20 ___-_ __Y __ f--

a+,=

_fa [A(h)shh(h-z)
+B(X)chh(h-z)]Jo(Ar) dh

8
Fig. 2. Geometry for the spherical indenter.

*The assumptions of the theory used are given in detail in Timoshenko, S. P. and Goodier, J. N. Theory ofElmricir~. 3rd ed.. McGraw Hill Book Company. 1970, pp. 409-413.

544

W. C. HAYES

et al.

in which 1 (3 - 4v) shhhchhh - Ah M(A) =5; (Ah)*+4(1-v)*+(3-4v)sh*Ah

and the

in which

1 1

function, C, is related to C by
1

and F(x) =$(O)+x~f(XsinB) dB]

=()

=x

AhshAh + 2 ( 1 - v) chAh (Ah)2+4(1-v)2+(3-4v)sh2Ah

The objective of the analysis is to reduce the dual integral equations (9) and (10) to a form more amenable to numerical analysis. First, the function C is written in the form C(A) = AfO= v(t) cos Ardt, (13)

which, when put into (9), automatically satisfies that equation. Equation (10) is treated by Grst isolating the half-space solution in it as

The determination of cp(t) from (16) results in a complete solution to the problem since all coefficients A, B, C, and D are given in terms of this auxiliary function by means of (13). The distribution of normal stress beneath the indenter may be given directly in terms ofv(t) as

Integrating this expression over the area of the contact region gives a relation for the total applied force P,
P = 27r _/; p(t) dr.

(20) of

in which

Equation (20) allows the determination

By putting (13) into (14) and following the standard reduction procedures given ~ by Lebedev and Ufliand and later workers the equations may be written as a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind with symmetric kernel:

the magnitude of the displacement of the center of the indenter, oo, under the action of a given load P. In the case of an indenter with a non-plane base, the continuity condition on normal stress in the plane z = 0 provides the additional relation
q(a) = 0.

Iom

cp(t)[H(t+x)+H(t-x)]
= F(x)

dt (16)

(21)

(0 s x s a)

In this case, equations (20 and 21) are used for the determination of the displacement w.

A MATHEMATICAL

ANALYSIS Table a/h 0.2 o-4 O-6 0.8 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3-o 3.5 4-O 5-O 6-O 7.0 8-O 1. Values v=O.30 of K for the plane-ended indenter Y =0*35 1,218 Y = 040 1.232 l-542 1.917 2.337 2.789 3-996 5.271 6.586 7-923 9.274 10.63 13.35 16.07 18.79 21.49 v-O-45 I.252 1.599 2.031 2.532 3.085 4-638 6.380 8.265 IO-26 12.32 14.45 18.80 23.23 27.69 32.15

545 cylindrical Y = 0.50 1.281 1,683 2-211 2.855 3609 5.970 9.069 13.00 17.86 23.74 30.75 48.47 71.75 101.27 137.7

of the indenter and of the radius a of the contact region.

Plane-ended cylindrical indenter

For the geometry shown in Fig. 1, q(r) = 0. Introducing the dimensionless variables,

1.207
1.472 l-784 2.124 2.480 3-m 4-335 5.276 6-218 7.160 8.100 9.976 11&I 13.70 15.55

I.502
l-839 2.211 2603 3.629 4.685 5.754 6.829 7906 8.983 11.13 13-27 15.41 17.53

and CY Ah, equation ( 16) becomes = W(5) = 1 -- l

w~T)[K(T 0 + K(7- 01 dr, + lr I 0

(23)

in which, from ( 15) and ( 17), K(u) =

(3-4u)shatP-[a(l+a)+$-l--v)21 [(a)* X

+4(1 -v)] +(3 -4v)Stia

(24)

used to calculate relationships between the load P and the indenter displacement W, for an indenter of radius a on a layer of thickness h, shear modulus G and Poissons ratio v.

cos [a(a/h)ul da.

Spherical indent&

For the spherical indenter geometry of Numerical methods are used for the solution Fig. 2, the function %(T) = 1212R, in which of the integral equation (23) with the sym- R is the radius of the indenter. Introducing metric kernel given by (24). At a given value the dimensionless variables of (22), the of the parameters a/h and u, the function integral equation ( 16) becomes K(U) is calculated in the interval 0 c u =S2. The integral in (23) is then replaced by its approximation obtained from the trapezoidal integration formula. The determination of the function w (7) is thus reduced to the solution +K(r--_5)] d+& (26) of a system of linear algebraic equations (Kopal, 1955). The relation between the applied force, P, and the displacement, oo, in which K(u) is defined as in (24). The unknown function w (5) may be written is found from (20) and assumes the dimensionless form (27) o(S) = 0, (5) +&w?(I). (25) * in which ~~(5) is the solution to (23) and Numerical values for o,(7) thus allow com- w2(5) satisfies pUmiOn Of K at gk%I VdUeS Ofthe parameters a/h and v. Values of K for a range of a/h are W?(5) = given in Table 1 for 1= 0.30, 0.35, 0.40. -ri+; i w~(~)[K(~+[)+ZC(T--~)] d7. (28) O-45 and 0.50. These K values may be I,

546

W. C. HAYES et al.
O.Io

Using (27) the integral equation (26) is satis- S tied identically. The solution for the spherical indenter geometry thus reduces to the determination of the function or(e) satisfying (28) with symmetric kernel as given by equation (24). Numerical techniques outlined for the case of the cylindrical indenter are used to solve equation (28). The continuity condition, o(l)=O,onnormalstressattheboundaryof the contact region allows solution for the dimensionless parameter

Area

Aspect

Ratio, u/h

bJ _-w(l)
06R wz(l)

(3)

Fig.

Nondimensional indentation of the plane-ended cylindrical indenter for a large mnge of area-aspect ratio.

3.

which relates the displacement % to the radius of the contact region. With x determined, the relation between the displacement, 00, and the load, P, is given from (20)
K =

f0 O(T) dT.

(30)

Values of x and K for a range of a/h are given in Table 2 for Y= 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, and O-50. These values of x and K may be used to calculate relationships between the load P and the indenter displacement o. and contact region radius Q for an indenter of radius R on a layer of thickness h, shear modulus G, and Poissons ratio Y. RICSULTS The present theory is a linear theory. As a result, the predicted indentation by a planeended indenter, with its fixed contact area, is directly proportional to the load. Because of the iinite extent of the load applicator, however, the indentation for a given applied normal traction depends on the area aspect ratio, u/h. The ratio (wo/h)/(P/GuZ) is plotted against a/h for five values of Poissons ratio in Figs. 3 and 4. The amount of indentation for any given applied normal stress depends, quite markedly, on a/h for u/h values less than unity. Fig. 3 shows the indentation dependence on u/h and shows the approach to

limiting values as u/h becomes large. For indenters large compared to the layer thickness, the edge effects are negligible and the problem is merely the compression of a thin layer by a wide plate. Fig. 4 shows details of the behavior for 0 < u/h < 1, the useful practical range for indentation tests. Unlike the flat indenter, the contact area for the spherical indenter depends on the load. Thus, the indentation of a spherical indenter is not linearly proportional to load. Figure 5 shows the relative approach, oo/h, of spherical indenters as a function of a load factor PIGRP. The effect of Poissons ratio is shown for an indenter with R/h = 10. The effect of relative indenter curvature, R/h, is shown for v = 0.45. The results indicate, among other things, that the indentation for any particular load is less when applied with a large radius indenter than when applied with a small radius indenter. For the spherical indenter, calculations were made of stresses at the interface between the elastic layer and the rigid half space, z = h, and radial displacements at the surface, z = 0. The nondimensional normal stress, a,,/G, at the interface, z = h, is plotted as a function of the nondimensional radial coordinate, r/u, in Fig. 6 for v = O-45. As expected, the normal stress reaches a maximum at the axis of symmetry and diminishes asymptotically to zero outside the contact

A MATHEMATICAL

ANALYSIS

547

0.06

Area

Aspect

Ratio,o/h

Fig. 4. Nondimensional indentation of a plane-ended cylindrical indenter for area-aspect ratios between zero and unity.

Load Factor, F/GR

Fig. 5. Relative approach as a function of load factor for the spherical indenter.

region. For given values of Poissons ratio and area aspect ratio, the normal stress at the interface increases with decreasing R/h ratio. Increasing a/h, while maintaining R/h fixed, markedly increases the maximum normal stress at the interface.

The nondimensional shear stress, a,/G, at the interface, I = h, is plotted as a function of r/a in Fig. 7. As required by symmetry. the shear stress vanishes at r/a = 0. The shear stress reaches a maximum near the radius of the contact region and then diminishes to zero outside the region. Shear stress at this interface is a feature of the present solution that is different than the Lebedev and Ufliand (1958) solution. They assumed no shearing stresses at the interface. As with normal stress, shear stress increases with decreasing Rlh and with increasing alh. The nondimensional radial displacement, u,lh, at the surface, z = 0, is plotted as a function of r/a in Fig. 8. For given values of Poissons ratio and area-aspect ratio, the solution predicts negative displacements within most of the contact region and positive displacements outside the contact region. At large radial distances the displacements diminish asymptotically to zero. These displacements increase with decreasing R/h

548

W. C. HAYES

et al.

Table 2. Values of K and x for the spherical indenter a/h

O-04. O-06

Y = o-30 K X 04809 06891 0-6975 o-7061 O-7520 0*8031 O-8594 0.9209 O-9872 l-058 1.133 l-210 l-291 l-503 l-723 1.949 2.179 2,412 2647 2.883 3.121 1.024 1.036 l-049 1.061 l-126 1.192 1.256 1.317 l-372 1.422 1467 l-507 1.542 l-613 1667 l-708 l-740 1.766 1.788 1.805 1.820

Y = o-35
K X

v=o*40
K X

Y= 0.45
K X

v=o*SO
K X

048 0.1 o-2 0.3 o-4 O-5 O-6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1-O 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3GO

O-6816 O-6902 04990 o-7080 o-7564 O-8105 O-8705 o-9363 l-008 1.084 l-165 1.250 l-339 l-571 1.816 2-069 2.327 2.589 2.855 3.124 3.394

1.025 1.038 1.051 l-064 1.133 l-202 1.270 1.333 l-392 I.445 1.492 l-534 l-571 1.646
i-702

I.745 1,778 l-805 1.826 1.844 l-858

O-6826 0.6917 0.7010 0*7106 O-7622 O-8204 o-8854 0.9572 1a036 l-121 1.211 1.307 1407 l-673 l-957 2.254 2.561 2.877 3.199 3.527 3.860

1.026 l-040 1*OS4 l-068 1,141 1.215 1.288 1.356 1.419 l-477 1.528 1a573 1.614 1.696 l-757 1*&x05 1.841 l-871 l-894 l-913 l-928

0.6838 0.6936 0.7037 0.7140 o-770 1 0.8339 0+060 o-9866 I.076 l-173 1.278 1.390 1.509 l-831 2.184 2.564 2.967 3.391 3.834 4.294 4.770

1.028 l-043 1.058 1.073 1.152 1.233 1.312 1.388 l-458 1.522 1.580 1.632 1a678 1.775 1.849 l-907 l-954 1.992 2.023 2.047 2.068

o-6855 O-6963 o-7073 0.7187 0.7810 0.8530 o-9355 1.ow 1.135 1.252 1.381 I.522 1a674 2*102 2.597 3.161 3.797 4.507 5.2% 6.169 7.130

l-031 1.047 1.063 1*080 1.167 1.258 l-348 1.435 1.516 1.592 1.662 1.725 I.784 I.911 2.017 2.109 2.189 2.260 2.325 2.384 2.438

ratio.Radial strains the. cartilage surface asymptotic deformation. Both applications at

may be predicted from the results shown in Fig. 8 by differentiation. The solution shows compressive strains within the center portion of the contact region, tensile strains in the remaining part of the contact region and the near part of the outside region, and compressive strains at further radial distances. This result is qualitatively similar to the predictions of the Hertz theory for indentation of an elastic half-space by a rigid spherical indenter.
DISCUSSION

Articular cartilage is a viscoelastic material and any dynamic analysis must treat it as-such. Nevertheless, the present theory, which assumes the material is elastic, is useful in two limiting cases. Creep tests of cartilage indicate an instantaneous elastic response followed by creep over several minutes to an asymptotic deformation. The present elastic theory for indenter-loaded layers may be useful in predicting the instantaneous response to a step load and in predicting the

should be, of course, conflned to small loads to stay within the limits of the small-strain assumption. The present theory may be qualitatively compared with some of the previously reported results of indentation tests of cartilage. For example, Elmore ,ef al. ( 1963) applied constant unit loads of I.37 X lo6 dynes/cm2 to bovine patellar cartilage using circularplane indenters of various diameters. Indentations were measured 18 minutes after application of the load, i.e. after most of the creep should have occurred. They observed larger indentations with the larger diameter indenters. Unfortunately, they did not report the cartilage layer thickness and the values of a/h cannot be computed. Their indenters had radii ranging from 0.565-1.382 mm. In all probability the cartilage would have been 2 mm or more thick and their a/h values would all have been less than unity. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the larger indenters should have produced the larger indentations. This effect is relevant to the interpretation of previous

A MATHEMATICAL

ANALYSIS

549

0.00

::

-a05

Fig. 7. Nondimensional shear stress at the interface, z = h, for the spherical indenter.

.,

0.003

-0.10

J
Fig. 6 Nondimensional normal stress at the interface, . = h, for the spherical indenter.
o.cQ2

indentation tests that, by assuming a uniaxial stress field beneath the indenter, neglected P this relationship between area aspect ratio and relative indentation. 0.001 SC4 Hirsch (1944), in an early study, applied step loads and measured the initial indentation of cartilage of the tibia1 plateau. Using a plane-ended indenter, he measured the .ooo -1 initial deformation of a I.9 mm thick layer of cartilage for three different step loads. According to the present theory, the deformations with a plane-ended indenter should have been linearly prooortional to the load. Hirsch 1 - 0.w 1 did not observe deformations proportional Fig. 8. Nondimensional radial displacement at the to load. His loads, however, caused indenter surface, ,- = 0, for the spherical indenter.

550

W. C. HAYES et al.

displacements that were 12, 16, and 2 1 per cent of the cartilage thickness and theoreticalexperimental comparison is not justified. These fmite displacements exceed the limits of the theory and may exceed the linear range for cartilage elasticity. Using spherical indenters of 10 and 30 mm radii, Hirsch measured the initial elastic indentations at step loads of 490 X 10sdynes. Larger indentations were noted with the 10 mm indenter. The curves of Fig 5 predict that at a given value of the load, P, the indentation will be larger for the indenter of smaller radius. Also, using a 30 mm radius spherical indenter Hirsch measured the indentation for six levels of load. Unfortunately, quantitative comparisons between the present theory and the measurements of Elmore et al. (1963) and of Hirsch (1944) are not possible. The shear modulus, Poissons ratio, and thickness of the cartilage tested are required for a quantitative comparison. The material pmperties are not known for either experimental study and Elmore et al. did not report cartilage layer thickness. All these quantities would have to be measured independently if a definitive comparison is to be made. A previous study (Hayes and Mockross 1971),however, showed that for the initial elastic response in a creep test the shear modulus and Poissons ratio were 4.1 X 10 dynes/cm* and O-42,respectively, for healthy cartilage and 5.8 x IO*dyn/ cm* and O-39, respectively, for somewhat degenerated cartilage. Selecting values for the material constants somewhere in this range gives good quantitative agreement between the present theory and the tests of Hirsch. In as much as the material properties in this comparison were simply chosen to give a good fit (i.e. not independently determined), the agreement must be considered subjective. Nevertheless, this preliminary comparison is interesting. If, indeed, the theory is verified with tests that include an independent measure of the cartilage material properties, the indenter

solution may provide a theoretical basis for a quantitative determination of the elastic shear modulus of cartilage in situ. The earlier study (Hayes and Mockross 1971) indicates a strong dependence of shear modulus, measured at low loads, on the degree of osteoarthritic degeneration. The measured values of Poissons ratio, on the other hand, indicate a fairly narrow range. Thus, the results of an indenter test and an assumed value for Poissons ratio could be used with theory to estimate the elastic shear modulus and, consequently, the degenerative condition of the in situ cartihge. The spherical indenter solution reported here may also be examined as a preliminary model for loading in normal and artificial synovial joints. To do so, it is important to compare the assumptions upon which the analysis is based with the characteristics of the biological tissues involved. The assump tion of the rigidity of the supporting half-space is. not overly restrictive considering experimental data for the elastic modulii of cartilage and of cortical and cancellous bone. Such an assumption, however, precludes investigating the stress field in the subchondral region, an investigation of interest in a theoretical analysis of the subchondral and marginal changes occurring in osteoarthritis. The assumption of the elasticity of the cartilage also precludes investigation of its viscoelastic response but again this is not overly restrictive under short term loading conditions as in normal gait. The assumption of the rigidity of the indenter is a more serious restriction, since, in such a case, all deformations are assumed to occur in the layer. In the normal joint, both contacting condyles display the layered geometry and deformations in the contact region are shared. The rigid indenter assumption results in sufficiently large normalized indentations at low values of joint normal force to violate the small displacement requirements of a linear theory. Results for the stress and displacement fields are thus only valid for joint forces on the order

A MATHEMATICAL

ANALYSIS

551

of 10 kponds. Therefore, although the solution applies directly to low-level loading of joints in which one component has been replaced prosthetically, it should be regarded as a preliminary model for the loading in normal synovial joints. Major improvements in the applicability of the analysis can be expected with the consideration of a deformable indenter, a layered, elastic half-space and the viscoelastic characteristics of the articular cartilage.
Acknowledgment-W. C. Hayes was supported during this investigation by Training Grant GM 00874 from the National Institutes of Health. REFERENCES Burstein, A. H. (1968) Elastic analysis of condylar structures. Ph.D. Thesis, New York University. Camosso, M. E. and Marotti, G. (1962) The mechanical behavior of articular cartilage under compressive stress. J. Bone Jt Surg. 44A, 699-709. Edwards, J. (1967) Physical characteristics of articular cartilage. Proc. I&n Mech. Engrs 181(3), 16-24. Ehnore, S. M.. Sokoloff. L.. Norris. G. and Carmeci, P. (1963) Nature of imperfect eiasticity of articular cartilage. J. appl. Physiol. 18,393-396. Hayes, W. C. and Mockros, L. F. (1971) Viscoelastic constitutive relations for human articular cartilage. J. appl. Physiol. 31,562-568. Hirsch, C. (1944) A contribution to the pathogenesis of chondromalacia of the patella. Acta chir. scund. Supp. 83. Kempson, G. E., Freeman, M. A. R. and Swanson, S. A. V. (1968) Tensile properties of attic&r cartilage. Nature, Land. 220, 1127-l 128. Kempson, G. E., Freeman, M. A. R. and Swanson, S. A. V. (197 1) The determination of a creep modulus for

articular cartilage from indentation tests on the human femoral head. J. Biomechanics 4,239-250. Kopal, 2. (1955) Numerical Analysis, 556 pp., Wiley, New York. Krakovits, G. (1969a) Die elastizitat der gelenksknotpel. Anat.Anz. 124,113-119. Krakovits, G. (1969b) Bestimmung des elastizititsmoduls der knorpelschicht auf femurkiipfen mit hilfe der kugeldruckprobe. Anat. Anz. 124,1X-166. Lebedev, N. N. and Ufliand, I. A. (1958) Axisymmetric contact problem for an elastic layer. PMM 22,442-450. McCutchen, C. W. (1962) The frictional properties of animal joints. Weor 5, l-17. Sokoloff, L. (1963) Elasticity of articular cartilage: effect of ions and viscous solutions. Science 144,1055-1057. Sokoloff, L. (1966) Elasticity of aging cartilage. Federn Proc. 25,1089-1095. Sokoloff, L. (1969) The Biology of Degenerative Joint Disease, 162 pp., University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Timoshenko, S. P. and Goodier, J. N. (1970) Theory of Elusticity. 3rd Edn, pp. 409-413, McGraw-Hill, New York. Zarek, I. M. and Edwards, J. (1963) The stress-structure relationship in articular cartilage. Med. Electron. Biol. Engng 1.497-507. NOMENCLAlWRE radius of contact region elastic shear modulus wtilage thickness applied normal force radial coordiite axial coordinate displacement vector nondimensional parameter Poissons ratio normalized radial coordinate normaiized radii coordinate Boussinesq-Papkovitch potential functions nondimensional parameter shape function for axisymmetric indentor indentation of cartilage layer components of stress tensor

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