Fretting wear behaviors of mandibular condylar cartilage of nature temporomandibular joint in vitro

Torsional fretting tests of condylar cartilage against a ZrO2 ball were carried out. The damage characteristics were discussed based on an analysis of frictional kinetics behavior, SEM observations, and histological stainings. The results indicated that fretting behaviors were strongly dependent on the angular displacement amplitudes and the number of cycles. The worn surface was characterized by netlike shape ridges along the radial direction, and three parts were detected. The wear mechanism of condylar cartilage performed mainly as delamination and micro-fracture of collagenous fibers. As the damage characters are very special, a model of the condylar cartilage surface damage was established.