Dynamic Properties of Chondrocytes

Otoo, Baaba Sekyiwaa

Dynamic Properties of Chondrocytes

dc.contributor.advisor	Herzog, Walter
dc.contributor.author	Otoo, Baaba Sekyiwaa
dc.contributor.committeemember	Hart, David Arthur
dc.contributor.committeemember	Duncan, Neil Alexander
dc.date	2025-06-04
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-09T16:26:09Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-09T16:26:09Z
dc.date.issued	2025-01-07
dc.description.abstract	Articular cartilage plays a crucial role in joint function by providing a smooth, load-bearing surface that facilitates movement and absorbs mechanical impact. Chondrocytes, the cells within cartilage, experience continuous mechanical loading in vivo and adapt their volume and shape accordingly, a process that is essential for maintaining cartilage health and function. Volume and shape changes in chondrocytes are key to cellular mechanotransduction, the mechanism by which cells detect and respond to external forces, influencing responses that are vital in both physiological and pathological conditions. This thesis focuses on developing methods to study the effects of dynamic cyclic compression loading on chondrocyte volume and shape changes, not only at the beginning and end of the loading cycle but, crucially, throughout the loading process. These dynamic responses are then compared with those observed under static conditions. A novel experimental approach was developed, incorporating the simultaneous loading and imaging of cartilage tissue, to overcome common technical challenges, such as motion artifacts, which have previously limited studies on chondrocyte deformations to static conditions. Using this setup, cartilage tissues were subjected to cycles of mechanical loading, with cell volume and shape measurements taken at specific time points, both at maximum and minimum stress. The study revealed that chondrocytes exhibit an initial transient decrease in volume within the first few cycles, followed by a gradual return to the baseline (pre-loading) volume despite the surrounding cartilage tissue not fully recovering. This dynamic behavior suggests that chondrocytes engage in active volume regulation as an adaptive response to sustained mechanical loading. Moreover, we also found that cell volume and shape responses under dynamic loading differ substantially from static loading conditions, highlighting the unique behavior of chondrocytes embedded in their native extracellular matrix in response to dynamic mechanical loads. The outcomes of this research underscore the importance of studying cellular adaptation mechanisms in a dynamic, physiologically relevant contexts, rather than under static conditions. This work offers insights into how chondrocytes modulate their volume and shape under cyclic mechanical stress, contributing to our understanding of cellular adaptations within articular cartilage and potentially informing future studies on cartilage health, degeneration, and mechanobiology.
dc.identifier.citation	Otoo, B. S. (2025). Dynamic properties of chondrocytes (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/120385
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	cell volume
dc.subject	multiphoton imaging
dc.subject	cartilage mechanics
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Biomedical
dc.title	Dynamic Properties of Chondrocytes
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Biomedical
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.