Stokes Laboratories, Bernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland.
3D Printing Center of Excellence, Global Supply Chain, Johnson & Johnson, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Ireland.
J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2019 Jun;94:186-192. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.02.020. Epub 2019 Feb 21.
Menisci play a major role in the mechanical function of the knee. They are subjected to large compressive forces and as a result and due to its avascular structure, menisci are prone to irreparable damage. Meniscectomy was once a common procedure for damaged menisci, however alternative approaches involving meniscus regeneration to restore function are of current interest. In order to enable these regenerative strategies, it is of utmost importance to initially establish he structure/property/function relationships of native menisci. Therefore, this study explores the influence of major constituents of the meniscal extracellular matrix; namely the glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and the collagen fibre orientation on the mechanical properties of the bovine meniscus. GAG distribution and mechanical properties are mapped with respect to depth and regional variance within the meniscus. Results show that the inner zone of the meniscus has a significantly larger quantity of GAG compared to the peripheral zone. The tibial and femoral layers contain a higher quantity of GAG than the mid-section and collagen fibre alignment differed depending on region. Overall, it was established that the viscoelastic properties of the meniscus are determined by the co-dependent relationship between the solid and fluid fractions of the meniscus and this varied depending on region. The hydrophilic nature of the GAG molecules play an important role in maintaining the solid/fluid balance while collagen fibre orientation restricts fluid flow within tissue, combined these processes act to support the meniscus under compressive loads.
半月板在膝关节的机械功能中起着重要作用。它们承受着巨大的压缩力，由于其无血管结构，半月板容易受到不可逆转的损伤。半月板切除术曾经是治疗受损半月板的常见手术方法，但是目前人们对涉及半月板再生以恢复功能的替代方法更感兴趣。为了实现这些再生策略，首先建立天然半月板的结构/性能/功能关系至关重要。因此，本研究探讨了半月板细胞外基质的主要成分，即糖胺聚糖（GAG）和胶原纤维取向对牛半月板力学性能的影响。GAG 分布和力学性能相对于半月板的深度和区域变化进行了映射。结果表明，半月板的内区 GAG 含量明显高于外周区。胫骨和股骨层的 GAG 含量高于中部，胶原纤维的排列也因区域而异。总体而言，确定了半月板的粘弹性特性取决于半月板的固体和液体部分的相互依存关系，而这种关系因区域而异。GAG 分子的亲水性在维持固体/液体平衡方面起着重要作用，而胶原纤维的取向限制了组织内的流体流动，这些过程共同作用以在压缩载荷下支撑半月板。
