The doctoral dissertation in the field of Technical Physics will be examined at the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Kuopio campus.
What is the topic of your doctoral research? Why is it important to study the topic?
There have been isolated studies investigating the optical properties of articular cartilage, leading to a lack of understanding on the relationship between articular cartilage optical properties and its composition, structure, and mechanical function.
This thesis addressed these shortcomings by providing information on the experimental values of optical properties of articular cartilage bulk tissue and its zonal structure, and how diagnostic light propagates into articular cartilage. The thesis also shows the relationship between articular cartilage optical parameters and the tissue-level and component-specific mechanical properties of the tissue. These findings pave the way for developing diagnostic tools based on optical technologies which can assist orthopedic surgeons with determining the right treatment plan for patients with osteoarthritis.
What are the key findings or observations of your doctoral research?
This thesis makes several significant contributions to our understanding of articular cartilage optical properties. Firstly, it confirms the sensitivity of measurement of articular cartilage optical properties to experimental conditions. It also offered a novel approach to modeling light interactions with cartilage, providing a valuable tool for future research and clinical applications. Finally, the identification of strong relationships between optical and biomechanical properties represents a significant step forward, potentially enabling non-invasive, light-based diagnostics for cartilage health assessment.
How can the results of your doctoral research be utilised in practice?
The findings from this thesis have significant implications for developing advanced diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies to preserve joint health and function. Future research should build on these findings, to fully realize the potential of optical methods in musculoskeletal research.
What are the key research methods and materials used in your doctoral research?
This thesis employs optical measurement and simulation, biomechanical measurement and simulation, and machine learning modeling.
The doctoral dissertation of Iman Kafian-Attari, MSc, entitled Shedding light on articular cartilage: A comprehensive analysis of light propagation and its relationship with tissue structure and biomechanics in articular cartilage will be examined at the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Kuopio Campus. The opponent will be Professor Hamid Dehghani, University of Birmingham, and the custos will be Associate Professor Isaac Afara, University of Eastern Finland. Language of the public defence is English.
For further information, please contact:
Iman Kafian-Attari, imank@uef.fi
