THE INVERSE THIXOTROPIC BEHAVIOR OF SYNOVIAL-FLUID AND ITS RELATION TO THE LUBRICATION OF SYNOVIAL JOINTS

A study was undertaken to examine the changes which occur in the visco sity of synovial fluid under conditions of applied shear. The study sh owed that synovial fluid exhibits the extraordinary property of invers e thixotropy or rheopexy. A rheopectic fluid's viscosity increases wit h increased duration of shear. The implications of this property on th e study of the rheological properties of synovial fluid and the lubric ation mechanism of synovial joints is considered.