Research ArticleOpen Access

The Friction on Cartilage Surfaces under Variable Wettability

Volume 6 - Issue 5

Aleksandra Mrela¹ and Zenon Pawlak²*

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- ¹Kujawy and Pomorze University in Bydgoszcz, Faculty of Technology, USA
- ²Tribochemistry Consulting, Salt Lake City, UT 84117, USA, University of Economy, Biotribology Laboratory, USA
*Corresponding author: Zenon Pawlak, Tribochemistry Consulting, Salt Lake City, UT 84117, USA

Received: June 25, 2018; Published: July 13, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.06.001404

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Abstract

The wettability of the articular surface of cartilage depends on the condition of its surface-active phospholipid overlay, which is structured as a multi-bilayer. We examined the characteristics of this membrane surface entity in both its normal and degenerated conditions using a combination of atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurement, and friction test. The observations have led to the conclusions that the friction coefficient is significantly dependent on the hydrophobicity (wettability) of the surface of the tissue, thereby confirming the hypothesis tested in this paper.

Keywords: Articular Cartilage; Phospholipid Bilayer; Wettability; Atomic Force Microscopy; Hydrophilic; Hydrophobic