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UK Fluids Conference 2022 Poster Prize

Date

Congratulations to Emily Butler who was awarded the runner-up best poster prize at the 2022 UK Fluids Conference. Click here to view her poster.

Research summary:

Articular Cartilage (AC) is found at opposing surfaces in mammalian joints. It provides a smooth bearing surface, promoting low friction articulation, facilitating continuous operation under relative motion. A lack of cells within AC renders a low capacity for intrinsic healing or repair, leaving it prone to degeneration and disease. This results in a high clinical demand for cartilage repair, however the complex material composition of the tissue makes it notoriously difficult to model accurately. Intrinsic inhomogeneity, attributed to depth dependant properties, contributes to inaccuracies with single scale modelling approaches. Instead, this project aims to couple an immersed fibrous network (micro-scale) model with a continuum (macro-scale) model, using Heterogeneous Multi-scale Methods to create an innovative multi-scale poroelastic model of the fluid-structure interaction arising within AC. The resulting multi-scale model will be calibrated using experimental data. Zonal structuring, damage modelling and gait cycle analysis will be incorporated, alongside clinical collaboration, to develop a more biologically relevant model.