BACKGROUND Although partial meniscectomy is a common treatment for the tears in the avascular region of the meniscus, mechanical alterations following meniscectomy are known to initiate mechanically-induced osteoarthritis. We aimed to measure the articular cartilage contact pressure distributions in the knees with surgically repaired and partially resected menisci in the avascular region. METHODS A pneumatic loading device was developed to apply a 1000 N compressive load on the cadaveric porcine knee samples at the flexion angles of 20, 35, 50, and 65°. We simulated longitudinal meniscal tears in the avascular inner 1/3 portion and the well-vascularized middle 1/3 portion of the meniscus. Articular cartilage contact pressures for the knees with intact, torn, repaired, and resected menisci were compared. FINDINGS For the tears in well-vascularized regions, meniscal repairs restored articular cartilage contact pressures to the levels in intact joints. However, partial meniscectomy significantly increases the maximum contact pressures and the average contact pressures in highly compressed areas. However, partial meniscectomy in the avascular region did not alter the maximum articular cartilage contact pressures and the average contact pressures in highly compressed areas. Stabilities in knee samples were not significantly altered following partial meniscectomy in both inner and middle regions. INTERPRETATION Although repair surgeries are beneficial for the tears in well-vascularized areas because the articular cartilage contact mechanics are reconstructed, partial meniscectomy may be a viable alternative treatment for the tears in avascular regions without introducing significant mechanical alterations.

中文翻译：

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半月板切除术后半月板无血管区域的机械改变：尸体猪纵向半月板撕裂模型。

背景技术尽管半月板切除术是对半月板的无血管区域的眼泪的常见治疗方法，但是已知半月板切除术后的机械改变会引发机械性骨关节炎。我们的目的是通过在无血管区域进行手术修复和部分切除的半月板来测量膝盖的关节软骨接触压力分布。方法开发了一种气动加载装置，以20、35、50和65°的屈曲角度在尸体猪膝盖样品上施加1000 N的压缩载荷。我们模拟了半月板的无血管内部1/3部分和血管良好的中部1/3部分的纵向半月板撕裂。比较半月板完整，撕裂，修复和切除的膝盖的关节软骨接触压力。发现对于血管良好区域的眼泪，半月板修复可将关节软骨的接触压力恢复到完整关节的水平。但是，半月板切除术会显着增加高度压缩区域的最大接触压力和平均接触压力。然而，在无血管区域的半月板切除术并没有改变最大关节软骨的接触压力和高度压缩区域的平均接触压力。在半月板切除术后，内侧和中部区域的膝盖样本的稳定性均未显着改变。解释尽管修复手术对血管良好区域的泪液有益，因为重建了关节软骨接触力学，