Abstract
The research on mechanical properties of cartilaginous endplate seems to be more and more actual at present. Endplate is a layer of hyaline cartilage between the intervertebral disc (IVD) and vertebral body.
The calcification of the endplate causes restriction of the IVD nutrition and its failure afterwards. Degeneration processes influence the mechanical properties of tissue, which we are going to examine.
The information on local mechanical properties of tissues could also serve as qualitative parameters of well-cultured tissue by tissue engineers. This paper presents localization of cartilaginous endplate by Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging in combination with nanoindentation.