AFM STUDY OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SYNOVIAL LIQUID MOLECULAR COMPONENTS IN BOUNDARY LUBRICATION

作者：Mirea D A; Trunfio Sfarghiu A M^*; Piednoir A; Rieu J P; Blanchin M G; Berthier Y

来源：Journal of the Balkan Tribological Association, 2011, 17(4): 630-639.

• synovial fluid
• molecular boundary lubricant
• AFM forces spectroscopy

Recent studies have shown the existence of two types of discontinuous lipid structures in the synovial fluid lubricant film: (1) lipid multilayers which form the synovial fluid cartilage interface, and (2) lipid vesicles present within the lubricant film. The size of these lipid vesicles, compared to the thickness of the lubricant film estimated from hydrodynamics lubrication models, do give rise to a controversy. In that context this paper presents a study of the synovial liquid component affinity for the lipid multilayers lying on the cartilage surface. This affinity was tested using AFM force measurements in liquid environment. As a main conclusion, it appears that lubricin and hyaluronic acid exhibit the highest affinity for the lipid multilayers. The role of lubricin is devoted to fixation and maintenance of the lipid multilayers on the surface of the cartilage. The role of hyaluronic acid is to form lipid vesicles that conserve the rheology of the lubricant film.

• 出版日期2011