Abstract
Joint motion and postnatal stress of weight bearing are the principal factors that determine the phenotypical and architectural changes that characterize the maturation process of the meniscus. In this study, the effect of compressive forces on the meniscus will be evaluated in a litter of 12 Dobermann Pinschers, of approximately 2 months of age, euthanized as affected by the quadriceps contracture muscle syndrome of a single limb focusing on extracellular matrix remodeling and cell–extracellular matrix interaction (i.e., meniscal cells maturation, collagen fibers typology and arrangement). The affected limbs were considered as models of continuous compression while the physiologic loaded limbs were considered as controls. The results of this study suggest that a compressive continuous force, applied to the native meniscal cells, triggers an early maturation of the cellular phenotype, at the expense of the proper organization of collagen fibers. Nevertheless, an application of a compressive force could be useful in the engineering process of meniscal tissue in order to induce a faster achievement of the mature cellular phenotype and, consequently, the earlier production of the fundamental extracellular matrix (ECM), in order to improve cellular viability and adhesion of the cells within a hypothetical synthetic scaffold.
Highlights
Menisci are C-shaped fibrocartilaginous wedge structures with a crucial and well-documented role in the knee joint, as reviewed by [1]
No evidence of fractures and/or fracture healing processes was revealed by X-ray examination of the right limb; a rotation of the proximal epiphysis and a torsion of the distal epiphysis of the femur and tibia, respectively, and a consequent malalignment of the knee (Figure S1A,B) were detected
We evaluate the postmortem effects of constant and chronic mechanical stimuli on
Summary
Menisci are C-shaped fibrocartilaginous wedge structures with a crucial and well-documented role in the knee joint, as reviewed by [1]. Load transmission across the joint [2,3], shock absorption [3,4,5], nutrient distribution [6,7,8], joint lubrication [8], improved congruency [9,10,11,12], proprioception [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20], and nociception [17,18] are recognized as the main functions of the meniscus within the knee joint These functions derive from the peculiar structure and composition of the tissue. Fibrocyte-like cells reflect the fibrous pattern of the meniscus, while in the inner zone, chondrocyte-like cells are responsible for the cartilaginous-like behavior of the tissue These regional variations are acquired during the latter stage of meniscal development, since initially cells show no phenotypical differentiation [21]. Menisci are mainly composed of water (72%); dry matter is organized in a collagen network, principally of type
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