Thesis Defense Announcement

The Herff College of Engineering announces the final Thesis of

Bhavya Vendra

for the degree of Master of Science

August 12, 2016 at 9:00 am in 200, Engineering Technology Building

Major Advisor: John L Williams, PhD

Analysis of chondron deformation during physiologic and hyper-physiologic compression of growth plate cartilage

ABSTRACT: The physis, or growth plate, is a layer of cartilage responsible for long bone growth. It is organized into reserve, proliferative and hypertrophic zones. Unlike the reserve zone where chondrocytes are arranged randomly, either singly or in pairs, the proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocytes are organized within a tubular structure called a chondron. No study to date has examined how chondrons deform when the physis is compressed. This study reports on a method to measure structural deformations along the entire lengths of chondrons when the physis is subjected to physiological (20%) and hyper-physiological (30% and 40%) levels of compression.