Quantification of solute diffusivity in osteoarthritic human femoral cartilage using correlation spectroscopy.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, pain, and disability. As an avascular tissue, the movement of water and solutes through the tissue is critical to cartilage health and function, and early changes in solute diffusivity due to micro-scale changes in the properties of cartilage's extracellular matrix might precede clinical symptoms. A diagnostic technique for quantifying alteration to the diffusive environment of cartilage that precedes macroscopic changes may allow for the earlier identification of osteoarthritic disease, facilitating earlier intervention strategies.