Functional biomechanics of the healthy and degenerate meniscus

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Andreas Martin Seitz, since 8/2020
• Subject Area: Orthopaedics, Traumatology, Reconstructive Surgery
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 326904281

The traumatic or degenerate meniscus lesion represents one of the main risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. In young athletes usually a traumatic event is the cause of a meniscus lesion. Frequently, these lesions are surgically treated by a partial or total meniscectomy. The negative clinical and biomechanical effects of the resulting loss of tissue were studied already in detail in numerous clinical and basic studies in the past. In older people, degenerative processes are more likely to cause damage to the meniscus. However, this age-related degeneration process is still insufficiently understood both from a biomechanical and molecular point of view, and rarely been studied. The high clinical relevance of degenerate menisci and the fact that only a few studies exist with contradictory results on the biomechanical and molecular characteristics of degenerate menisci make a fundamental research in this field urgently needed. This project's objective is primarily to better understand the biomechanical aspects of meniscal degeneration and the resulting loss of function, which can lead to osteoarthritis. In addition, the most important molecular properties will be studied and correlated to the biomechanical parameters. Prior to the project special magnetic resonance imaging methods have been developed that allow the identification of strains, stresses and the biomechanical properties of menisci in situ for the first time. The following goals should be achieved in this project:1. Ex vivo determination of the strains, stresses, material properties and water content of healthy and degenerate human menisci in situ.2. In vitro determination of compressive and tensile properties of healthy and degenerate menisci and correlation with in situ data and ex vivo analysis of biochemical composition of the meniscus (proteoglycan, collagen content, water content).3. In vivo determination of the strains, stresses, material properties of healthy and degenerate menisci with a new MRI-compatible loading apparatus on subjects / patients. 4. In vitro determination of compressive and tensile properties of degenerate menisci of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (harvested with implantation of a total knee replacement) and determine the proteoglycan, collagen, and water content. Correlating the results with the other results achieved in the project.The quantitative results obtained in the project will contribute to the understanding of meniscal degeneration and the concomitant loss of function of the knee joint, which can lead to osteoarthritis. This information is essential for the development of suitable future meniscus and osteoarthritis therapies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Lutz Dürselen, until 7/2020