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Utilizing a laser scanning confocal microscope system, the refractive indices of articular cartilage (AC) with mechanical or biochemical degenerations were characterized to investigate whether potential correlations exist between refractive index (RI) and cartilage degeneration. The cartilage samples collected from the medial femoral condyles of kangaroo knees were mechanically degenerated under different loading patterns or digested in trypsin solution with different concentrations. The sequences of RI were then measured from cartilage surface to deep region and the fluctuations of RI were quantified considering combined effects of fluctuating frequency and amplitude. The compositional and microstructural alterations of cartilage samples were assessed with histological methods. Along with the loss of proteoglycans, the average RI of cartilage increased and the local fluctuation of RI became stronger. Short-term high-speed test induced little influence to both the depth fluctuation and overall level of RI. Long-term low-speed test increased the fluctuation of RI but the average RI was barely changed. The results substantially demonstrate that RI of AC varies with both compositional and structural alterations and is potentially an indicator for the degeneration of AC.

The depth distributions of refractive index (RI) in normal and early degenerated articular cartilage (AC) were measured and correlated to the pathological statuses. Utilizing a confocal microscope, the depth distribution of RI was determined with an interval of 50 μm from the articular surface and approximated as a smooth curve. The fluctuation of RI was quantified with a specially defined coefficient and the proteoglycan (PG) loss was quantified with histological images. The overall RI of the AC collected from the femoral condyles of mature sheep was 1.4444. Significant differences existed in the refractive indices of different cartilage samples or even in the different depths of the same sample. The RI of normal cartilage distributed as a regular ramp or arch curve with depth and peaked in the middle-deep zone. The cartilage samples detected with high PG losses were coupled with severe fluctuations of RI. The fluctuating level was increased with pathological progress. The coefficient of RI fluctuation can distinguish the normal cartilage from the initially degenerated one, which potentially provides an indicator to detect the pathological development of AC.