Mechanobiology Cartilage and Chondrocyte

This book covers the proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Mechanobiology of Cartilage and Chondrocyte. Mechanobiology can be now considered as a vigorous branch of biomechanics, biorheology and physiology mainly concerned with the study of the influence of mechanical forces on cells and tissues and their clinical or therapeutical applications. As we are now in the age of proteomics, genomics and cell micro mechanical approaches, suing methods like laser tweezers or confocal microscopy, mechanobiology brings new challenges. With such new research, mechanobiology promises new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In other respect there has been increasing interest over recent years in the fundamental role played by local mechanical parameters in chondrocyte regulations and cartilage dysfunctions as a first step in the development of osteoarthritis. These proceedings are sub-divided into four parts: Theoretical approaches and mechanobiology of chondrocyte; Cartilage and chondrocyte studies; Osteoarthritis: inflammation degradation and clinical approaches; and, Cartilage engineering