A Microstructural Study of Load Distribution in Cartilage: A Comparison of Stress Relaxation versus Creep Loading

Figure 11

Bulge facture of a Cr7 sample. Following 7 MPa creep loading, samples suffered microfractures in the surface layer of the bulge region, as shown here. The arrows trace the fibrillar in-phase crimping in the surface layer and the “V” indicates the crack path. DIC imaging.