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Nanoscale Shear Deformation Mechanisms of Opposing Cartilage Aggrecan Macromolecules

Lin Han ^*, Delphine Dean , Pan Mao , Christine Ortiz ^* and Alan J. Grodzinsky   

^* Departments of Materials Science and Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering; and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Correspondence: Address reprint requests and inquiries to A. J. Grodzinsky, Tel.: 617-253-4969; E-mail: alg{at}mit.edu.

The nanoscale shear deformation behavior of two opposing end-grafted aggrecan layers was studied in aqueous solutions using atomic force microscopy, and was observed to depend markedly on bath ionic strength, the presence of calcium ions, and the applied lateral displacement rate. These results provide molecular-level insights into the contribution of aggrecan deformation mechanisms to cartilage tissue-level material properties.