Characterization of site-specific biomechanical properties of human meniscus—Importance of collagen and fluid on mechanical nonlinearities

Abstract

Meniscus adapts to joint loads by depth- and site-specific variations in its composition and structure. However, site-specific mechanical characteristics of intact meniscus under compression are poorly known. In particular, mechanical nonlinearities caused by different meniscal constituents (collagen and fluid) are not known. In the current study, in situ indentation testing was conducted to determine site-specific elastic, viscoelastic and poroelastic properties of intact human menisci. Lateral and medial menisci (n=26) were harvested from the left knee joint of 13 human cadavers. Indentation tests, using stress-relaxation and dynamic (sinusoidal) loading protocols, were conducted for menisci at different sites (anterior, middle, posterior, n=78). Sample- and site-specific axisymmetric finite element models with fibril-reinforced poroelastic properties were fitted to the corresponding stress-relaxation curves to determine the mechanical parameters. Elastic moduli, especially the instantaneous and dynamic moduli, showed site-specific variation only in the medial meniscus (p<0.05 between the sites). The instantaneous and dynamic elastic moduli of the anterior horn were significantly (p<0.05) greater in the medial than lateral meniscus. The phase angle showed no statistically significant variation between the sites (p>0.05). The values for the strain-dependent fibril network modulus (nonlinear behaviour of collagen) were significantly different (p<0.05) between all sites in the medial menisci. Additionally, there was a significant difference (p<0.01) in the strain-dependent fibril network modulus between the lateral and medial anterior horns. The initial permeability was significantly different (p<0.05) in the medial meniscus only between the middle and posterior sites. For the strain-dependent permeability coefficient, only anterior and middle sites showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in the medial meniscus. This parameter demonstrated a significant difference (p<0.05) between lateral and medial menisci at the anterior horns. Our results reveal that under in situ indentation loading, medial meniscus shows more site-dependent variation in the mechanical properties as compared to lateral meniscus. In particular, anterior horn of medial meniscus was the stiffest and showed the most nonlinear mechanical behaviour. The nonlinearity was related to both collagen fibrils and fluid.