{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T04:04:25Z","timestamp":1784174665933,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784073600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":14,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003286","name":"Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CN22\u201013BP\u20101706"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CN22\u201013BP\u20101706"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003286","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal Orthopaedic Research"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Chondrocytes are mechanosensitive cells whose biosynthetic activity is governed by their local mechanical environment within articular cartilage. This environment is strongly influenced by the pericellular matrix (PCM), a specialized region enriched in collagen VI and a distinct non\u2010fibrillar ground substance. However, the individual mechanical roles of these PCM constituents in regulating chondrocyte mechanotransduction remain poorly understood. In this study, an explicit, concurrent multiscale finite element model of articular cartilage was developed to directly link tissue\u2010level loading to cellular\u2010scale mechanics. The model incorporates anatomically realistic chondrocyte distributions, depth\u2010dependent collagen II fibril architecture, and distinct representations of collagen VI fibrils and the non\u2010fibrillar PCM matrix. Unconfined compression simulations were performed under reference conditions and following targeted alterations (\u00b120%) in collagen VI stiffness, PCM matrix stiffness, or both. Results showed that tissue\u2010level reaction forces were most sensitive to collagen VI stiffness. At the cellular scale, changes in collagen VI and PCM matrix properties significantly modulated chondrocyte circumferential forces and volumetric deformation, particularly in the superficial zone. Stress redistribution analyses revealed a load\u2010sharing mechanism between fibrillar and non\u2010fibrillar PCM components. These findings clarify the distinct mechanical roles of PCM constituents and provide mechanistic insight into how their degradation may disrupt chondrocyte mechanotransduction and contribute to cartilage degeneration.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/jor.70253","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T03:29:13Z","timestamp":1784172553000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Influence of the Chondrocyte Microenvironment on Multiscale Articular Cartilage Mechanics: A Computational Study"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"44","author":[{"given":"Malek","family":"Adouni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Abdullah Al Salem University Biomedical and Instrumentation Engineering Khalidiya Kuwait"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Afif","family":"Gouissem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering department Australian University of Kuwait Mubarak Al\u2010Abdullah Kuwait"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3265-7579","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tanvir","family":"Faisal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette LA USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yasin Y.","family":"Dhaher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department Northwestern University Chicago IL USA"},{"name":"Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Texas Southwest Dallas TX USA"},{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery University of Texas Southwest Dallas TX USA"},{"name":"Bioengineering, University of Texas Southwest Dallas TX USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1177\/1941738109350438","article-title":"The Basic Science of Articular Cartilage: Structure, Composition, and Function","volume":"1","author":"Sophia Fox A. 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E.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Matrix Biology"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"498","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1346.011","article-title":"The Pericellular Matrix as a Transducer of Biomechanical and Biochemical Signals in Articular Cartilage","volume":"1068","author":"Guilak F.","year":"2006","journal-title":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1286","DOI":"10.1002\/art.39034","article-title":"Type Vi Collagen Regulates Pericellular Matrix Properties, Chondrocyte Swelling, and Mechanotransduction in Mouse Articular Cartilage","volume":"67","author":"Zelenski N. 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