Kleinhans Kelsey L, Jaworski Lukas M, Schneiderbauer Michaela M, Jackson Alicia R
J Biomech Eng. 2015 Oct;137(10):101004. doi: 10.1115/1.4031118.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant socio-economic concern, affecting millions of individuals each year. Degeneration of the meniscus of the knee is often associated with OA, yet the relationship between the two is not well understood. As a nearly avascular tissue, the meniscus must rely on diffusive transport for nutritional supply to cells. Therefore, quantifying structure-function relations for transport properties in meniscus fibrocartilage is an important task. The purpose of the present study was to determine how mechanical loading, tissue anisotropy, and tissue region affect glucose diffusion in meniscus fibrocartilage. A one-dimensional (1D) diffusion experiment was used to measure the diffusion coefficient of glucose in porcine meniscus tissues. Results show that glucose diffusion is strain-dependent, decreasing significantly with increased levels of compression. It was also determined that glucose diffusion in meniscus tissues is anisotropic, with the diffusion coefficient in the circumferential direction being significantly higher than that in the axial direction. Finally, the effect of tissue region was not statistically significant, comparing axial diffusion in the central and horn regions of the tissue. This study is important for better understanding the transport and nutrition-related mechanisms of meniscal degeneration and related OA in the knee.
骨关节炎（OA）是一个重大的社会经济问题，每年影响数百万人。膝关节半月板退变常与骨关节炎相关，但两者之间的关系尚未完全明了。作为一种几乎无血管的组织，半月板必须依靠扩散运输为细胞提供营养供应。因此，量化半月板纤维软骨中传输特性的结构-功能关系是一项重要任务。本研究的目的是确定机械负荷、组织各向异性和组织区域如何影响半月板纤维软骨中的葡萄糖扩散。采用一维（1D）扩散实验测量葡萄糖在猪半月板组织中的扩散系数。结果表明，葡萄糖扩散与应变有关，随着压缩水平的增加而显著降低。还确定半月板组织中的葡萄糖扩散是各向异性的，圆周方向的扩散系数明显高于轴向方向。最后，比较组织中央和角区的轴向扩散，组织区域的影响无统计学意义。这项研究对于更好地理解半月板退变及相关膝关节骨关节炎的运输和营养相关机制具有重要意义。
