This project will apply advanced neutron techniques—primarily tomographic imaging—together with X-ray methods and mechanical testing to investigate how osteoarthritis develops in the human knee joint. By combining these complementary approaches, the work will seek to unravel how the structural integrity and fluid distribution within cartilage and surrounding soft tissues change under load and during disease progression.
Neutron tomography will be used to visualize hydrogen-rich soft tissues and fluid pathways that are otherwise difficult to detect with X-rays alone, while phase-contrast X-ray tomography will provide high-resolution structural information. Mechanical loading experiments performed in tandem with imaging will make it possible to monitor tissue deformation and evaluate how these changes relate to early degenerative processes.
By integrating neutron imaging, X-ray techniques, and biomechanical testing, the project aims to both advance the fundamental understanding of osteoarthritis development and evaluate new possibilities for using neutron methods in soft-tissue research. The long-term goal is to establish imaging workflows that can reveal previously inaccessible aspects of musculoskeletal health and disease.