The ionic contribution of proteoglycans to mechanical stiffness of the meniscus

The menisci of the knee, historically thought of as vestigial remnants [1], are now understood to play a critical role in load transmission across the knee [2 –4]. Histologically, the water content of the meniscus is estimated at 74% whilst the remaining dry weight is 75% collagen. Collagen fibres are arranged circumferentially in deeper layers of the tissue and tangentially in superficial layers [5]. Load transmitted to the meniscus is resisted by the firm ligamentous attachments of the menisci to bone, generating circumferential tensile (hoop) stresses in the aforementioned circumferential collagen fibres [5,6].
Source: Medical Engineering and Physics - Category: Biomedical Engineering Authors: Source Type: research