Anglia Ruskin University

PhD research student: Mr Yazan Deri
Supervisory team: Dr Rajshree Mootanah (ARU), Dr Howard Hillstrom (HSS), Dr Rob Walker (ARU), Professor Kevin Cheah (MEHT).
Funding body: The Science Research Investment Fund

The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of fibrocartilage which is located at the periphery of the knee joint, reduces friction and provides shock absorption (McCann et al., 2009) to the articular cartilage, thereby lowering the contact stresses and preventing the development of degenerative arthritis. Meniscal tear arises commonly in the young and active population, often following trauma or sports injury (UKhealthcare website), and due to deterioration in the meniscus caused by the ageing process. The rate of degenerative meniscal tears is 60% in patients older than 65 years (Arendt, 1999). A meniscal tear is likely to increase knee joint contact pressure and the risk of developing early osteoarthritis (OA), which affects 8.5 million Britons at a cost of £39 billion to the NHS. The most common surgical treatment for meniscal tear is partial meniscectomy. The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the relationship between partial meniscectomy with the corresponding knee joint contact pressure of ovine specimens. An Instron 8876 bi-axial testing machine is used to apply compressive and torsion loading to sheep knee specimens, positioned at different degrees of flexion. A custom-made experimental jig is used to measure and record real-time knee joint pressure. Partial meniscectomies will be imposed within the knee specimen and corresponding contact pressures will be measured. The results of this study are anticipated to improve surgical outcomes of partial meniscectomy and, ultimately, reduce the risk of early OA.

Results of this study will also be used to verify a parallel computer simulation study by finite element method.

References:

• McCann L, Ingham E, Jin Z, Fisher J. Influence of the meniscus on friction and degradation of cartilage in the natural knee joint. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009 Aug;17(8):995-1000. Epub 2009 Mar 10.
• http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/ortho/fact_sheets/meniscus_tear.htm, 2010.
• Arendt EA, ed. Orthopaedic Knowledge Update: Sports Medicine 2. Rosemont, Ill: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 1999.