Meniscus
Currently, the meniscus cannot be replaced, it can only be surgically repaired or removed, leading to an increased risk of arthritis and knee replacement, However, advances in bioprinting could one day provide a new treatment option for this common injury - Amy Thompson
HWN Suggests
A current insight into Human Knee Menisci
Menisci of the knee are semilunar-shaped structures located between the condyles of the femur and tibia, together with articular surfaces of the tibial condyles form the acetabulum of the knee joint. They have multiple functions, affecting the proper joint biomechanics, even though in the past they were perceived as embryonic remnants. Menisci are involved in such vital functions as: load bearing, joint stability, joint congruity, increasing joint contact area, decreasing joint contact stresses, protection of articular cartilage, shock absorption, lubrication, limitation of extreme movement and proprioception.
Articles of Interest
Common Knee Surgery May Help No More Than A Fake Operation
Go to the doctor with knee pain, and they might say you've got a meniscus tear and need surgery to fix it. But surgery for this common problem might not be any better at relieving pain than having no surgery at all, according to researchers who went to the trouble of performing fake surgery to find out.
Human Meniscus: From Biology to Tissue Engineering Strategies
Once meniscus is damaged, a cascade of events occurs leading to degenerative joint changes of the knee. The morbidity of patients can significantly increase overtime and degeneration of the cartilage can progress, resulting in arthritis. Possibilities for treatment of meniscus lesions are primordially focused in repair and replacement (e.g., acellular scaffolds and meniscus allograft transplantation). Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine have been providing new options in medical practice.
Redwire Space Successfully 3D Prints a Human Meniscus
Currently, the meniscus cannot be replaced, it can only be surgically repaired or removed, leading to an increased risk of arthritis and knee replacement. However, advances in bioprinting could one day provide a new treatment option for this common injury.
Review of Arnoczky and Warren on the microvasculature of the human meniscus
This classic discusses the original publication ‘Microvasculature of the human meniscus’ by Drs Arnoczky and Warren on the microvascular anatomy of 20 cadaveric menisci. They described a perimeniscal capillary plexus, which supplies only the peripheral 10%–25% of the menisci. This description laid the anatomical and physiological foundation for meniscus tear treatment including the genesis of the ‘red-red’, ‘red-white’ and ‘white-white’ classification of meniscal lesions based on the visual assessment of blood supply.
Tear Your Meniscus? This “Living Bandage” May Help
British researchers are using a newly patented technique involving stem cells to repair the common knee injury.
The Basic Science of Human Knee Menisci
The menisci of the knee joint are crescent-shaped wedges of fibrocartilage that provide increased stability to the femorotibial articulation, distribute axial load, absorb shock, and provide lubrication to the knee joint. Injuries to the menisci are recognized as a cause of significant musculoskeletal morbidity. Preservation of the menisci is highly dependent on maintaining its distinctive composition and organization.
The Human Meniscus Behaves as a Functionally Graded Fractional Porous Medium under Confined Compression Conditions
Human meniscus plays a key role in the functioning of the knee joint. This tissue has a number of functions, such as: load bearing (about 45–75% of the total load on the joint), joint stability and lubrication. Degenerative processes of the meniscus, either from injuries or ageing, affect approximately 35% of the population.
The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment
Meniscal injuries are recognized as a cause of significant musculoskeletal morbidity. The menisci are vital for the normal function and long-term health of the knee joint.
What is a meniscus?
A healthy knee joint contains two C-shaped cartilage like structures, each one called a meniscus. The one on the inside of the knee is the medial meniscus and the one on the outside is the lateral meniscus. Each meniscus is smooth, flexible, and rubbery, and acts to provide both stability and shock absorbing protection to the precious knee cartilage lining the joint, also known as the hyaline cartilage. Loss or damage to this hyaline cartilage, for whatever reason, is known as arthritis, so the meniscus is essential to the health of the knee and the prevention of arthritis.
