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Contact mechanics after mattress suture repair of medial meniscus vertical longitudinal tear: an in vitro study

  • Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Most studies have concentrated on the changes in contact pressure and area on the tibiofemoral joint. This study compared the contact mechanics underneath the medial meniscus of a repaired vertical longitudinal tear with that of the intact or the torn ones.

Methods

In this controlled laboratory study, a 1000 N compressive axial load was applied to eight fresh-frozen cadaveric knees at four flexion angles and four loading conditions using a custom testing apparatus attached to a material testing machine. Intact knees, knees with a medial meniscus vertical longitudinal tear, and knees after meniscal repair were tested. The peak contact pressure and area underneath the meniscus were measured using Fuji pressure-sensitive film.

Results

A medial meniscus vertical longitudinal tear significantly increased the contact pressure and decreased contact area underneath the meniscus compared with those at the intact meniscus under all tested biomechanical conditions, and repair of the tear can restore the contact pressure and area in most conditions. While the repaired group showed a significantly higher or similar contact pressure compared with the tear group at 90° neutral knee position and at 60°, 90° 5 N·m-external rotation and 134 N-anterior tibial translation, and 5 N·m-internal rotation at all flexion angles. The contact area corresponding to the aberrant result of the contact pressure in the repaired group was lower than in the intact meniscus group.

Conclusions

The contact mechanics underneath the meniscus of the repaired medial meniscus vertical longitudinal tear were significantly improved compared with the corresponding tear conditions in most cases, while the contact pressure and area at some certain status after repair were not significantly different from those of the corresponding tear conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou (201704020096) and Natural Science Foundation of China (81802127, 81802142, and 81802172). The authors thank for the cadaver donation from the Department of Anatomy of Sun Yet-sen University.

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Author notes

  1. Zhong Chen, Haozhi Zhang and Huan Luo contributed to the work equally and should be regarded as co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SunYat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China

    Zhong Chen, Haozhi Zhang, Huan Luo, Rui Yang, Zhengzheng Zhang, Chuan Jiang, Jingyi Hou, Yunfeng Zhou, Yue Xu, Bin Song & Weiping Li

  2. Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, 529000, People’s Republic of China

    Huan Luo

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  1. Zhong Chen
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Chen, Z., Zhang, H., Luo, H. et al. Contact mechanics after mattress suture repair of medial meniscus vertical longitudinal tear: an in vitro study. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 140, 1221–1230 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-020-03428-0

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