Knee synovial fluid flow and heat transfer, a power law model

• Published in: Scientific reports 2023-10, Vol.13 (1), p.18184-18184, Article 18184
• Main Authors: Hasnain, Shahid, Abbas, Imran, Al-Atawi, Nawal Odah, Saqib, Muhammad, Afzaal, Muhammad F., Mashat, Daoud S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/57; 639/705; 639/766; Boundary value problems; Cartilage; Cartilage (articular); Differential equations; Diffusion; Diffusion models; Flow velocity; Fluid flow; Heat transfer; Humanities and Social Sciences; Knee; Magnetic fields; multidisciplinary; Partial differential equations; Permeability; Porous media; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Synovial fluid; Temperature distribution; Viscous flow
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44482-z

For the purpose of understanding, the governing system of partial differential equations for synovial fluid flow velocity and temperature distribution in the knee joint has been successfully solved for the first time. Therefore, such an article is shedding light on the convective diffusion of the viscous flow along the articular surfaces of the joints through the introduction of power-law fluids with different features of permeability, and stagnation point flow along a magnetic field. Henceforth, the frictional energy causes the knee joint’s temperature to increase. By way of filtration, heated synovial fluid reaches the articular cartilage and provides heat to the bone and cartilage. The lubricant in the joint cavity is properly mixed with this cooled fluid. A rectangular region flow and diffusion model is used to define the issue, thermal diffusion and flow inside the intra-articular gap, as well as flow and thermal diffusion within the porous matrix covering the approaching bones at the joint. Using the similarity solution approach, the linked mixed boundary value problem is addressed. The fluid has been shown to resist moving into or out of the cartilage in certain sick and/or aging synovial joints, causing the temperature to increase. By changing the values of the parameters from their usual levels, it is observed that the temperature did increase in aged and sick joints which impact cartilage and/or synovial fluid degradation.