Mechano-bioengineering of the knee meniscus

Abstract

The meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous structure of the knee joint that serves a crucial role in joint health and biomechanics. Degeneration or removal of the meniscus is known to lead to a chronic and debilitating disease known as knee osteoarthritis, whose prevalence is expected to increase in the next few decades. Meniscus bioengineering has been developed as a potential alternative to current treatment methods, wherein meniscus-like tissues are engineered using cells, materials, and biomechanical stimuli. The application of mechanical stimulation in meniscus bioengineering has presented varied results but, for the most part, it has been shown to enhance meniscus-like tissue formation. In this review, we summarized literature over the last 10 years of various mechanical stimuli applied in bioengineering meniscus tissues. The role of individual loading types is examined, and the effects on engineered meniscus are evaluated on both molecular and tissue levels. In addition, simulated microgravity is highlighted as the new area of interest in meniscus engineering, and its potential use as a disease-driving platform is discussed. Taken together, with the increased understanding of the effects of mechanical stimulation on the engineered meniscus, the most suitable loading regime could be developed for meniscus tissue engineering and osteoarthritis modelling.

Application of Continuous Sewing Machine-Like Suture Technique in Meniscus Injury

“…The meniscus is an important mechanical structure of the knee joint. 12 For obvious meniscus injuries, aggressive arthroscopic surgery is necessary to prevent deterioration of knee function. There are many meniscus suture methods, including the outside-in technique, 13 inside-out technique, 14 and the all-inside technique.…”

Allografts for partial meniscus repair: an in vitro and ex vivo meniscus culture study

“…As a limitation of this study, no mechanical stimulation of the constructs was performed. Mechanical loading has a proven role in enhancing fibrochondrocyte differentiation and might affect the cells in the scaffolds as summarized in a review by Ma et al (Ma et al, 2022a). It impacts the cell behavior and especially the gene expression, particularly of extracellular matrix proteins.…”

Epigenetic Dynamics in Meniscus Cell Migration and its Zonal Dependency in Response to Inflammatory Conditions: Implications for Regeneration Strategies

“…Additionally, the inner zone cells display a chondrogenic-like phenotype, in contrast to the fibroblastic nature of outer zone cells. Such phenotypic disparity leads to diverse extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions; the inner zone contains substantial amounts of both type-I and type-II collagen and higher aggrecan content, while the outer meniscus zone predominantly contains type-I collagen [16][17][18][19] . These zonal distinctions in ECM composition suggest that factors influencing meniscus repair and regeneration are zone dependent.…”