A pilot study to assess the healing of meniscal tears in young adult goats

Abstract

Meniscal tears are a common orthopedic injury, yet their healing is difficult to assess post-operatively. This impedes clinical decisions as the healing status of the meniscus cannot be accurately determined non-invasively. Thus, the objectives of this study were to explore the utility of a goat model and to use quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, histology, and biomechanical testing to assess the healing status of surgically induced meniscal tears. Adiabatic T1ρ, T2, and T2* relaxation times were quantified for both operated and control menisci ex vivo. Histology was used to assign healing status, assess compositional elements, and associate healing status with compositional elements. Biomechanical testing determined the failure load of healing lesions. Adiabatic T1ρ, T2, and T2* were able to quantitatively identify different healing states. Histology showed evidence of diminished proteoglycans and increased vascularity in both healed and non-healed menisci with surgically induced tears. Biomechanical results revealed that increased healing (as assessed histologically and on MRI) was associated with greater failure load. Our findings indicate increased healing is associated with greater meniscal strength and decreased signal differences (relative to contralateral controls) on MRI. This indicates that quantitative MRI may be a viable method to assess meniscal tears post-operatively.

Do MRI Results Represent Functional Outcomes Following Arthroscopic Repair of an Isolated Meniscus Tear in Young Patients?—A Prospective Comparative Cohort Study

“…Previously, the most prevalent method of treating this pathology was arthroscopic partial meniscectomy [1]. Over the recent decades, the importance of the meniscus as an intra-articular structure has been realized [5][6][7], and multiple studies have introduced long-term outcomes such as the accelerated development of degenerative osteochondral lesions after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy [8,9]. Therefore, the meniscus tear treatment has changed considerably in response [1,6].…”

“…The assessment of the meniscus healing process continues to be a matter of concern [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Clinical and functional outcomes are typically employed to assess the state of meniscus recovery [13].…”