Background:

The microvascular anatomy of the meniscus of the human knee is regarded as a crucial factor in the injury response. Previous studies have investigated the zone-dependent distribution pattern, but no quantitative data exist on vascular density and its age-related changes.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

The aim of the present study was to histologically analyze the vascular anatomy of the meniscus as a function of age. It was hypothesized that vascular density would decrease with increasing age.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Human menisci were retrieved from patients who underwent tumor resection or who received total knee replacement because of osteoarthritis. A total of 51 menisci were collected from 28 patients over 9 years (mean age, 25.6 ± 20.4 years; range 3-79 years). Immunohistological staining (alpha–smooth muscle actin) in combination with serial sections and standardized software-based contrast detection were used for the quantitative analysis. Data were analyzed using multiple t tests and the analysis of variance for trends, with a statistical significance level of P < .05.

Results:

The overall vascular density in the meniscus was lower in the 61- to 80-year age group than in the age groups of 0 to 10, 11 to 20, and 21 to 30 years (P < .01). A negative linear trend was detected with increasing age (slope, -0.007; P = .016). Within the red-white (RW) zone, a low vessel density was detected for the age groups of 0 to 10 and 11 to 20 years. Beyond these age groups, no vasculature was found in the RW zone. For the white-white (WW) zone, no vessel formations were noted in any age group. Almost 95% of the vessels in the meniscus were located in the capsule.

Conclusion:

This study reports quantitative histological data for microvascular anatomy as a function of age in a broad cohort of human knee menisci. The overall vascular density decreased with increasing age. No vessel formations were detected in the RW and WW zones after adolescence. Additionally, the capsule is far more densely vascularized than any other part of the meniscus.

Clinical Relevance:

Vascular density might be an additional factor to consider, along with tear location and patient age, for future treatment options.

中文翻译：

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人类半月板微血管密度与年龄相关的变化

背景：

人膝半月板的微血管解剖被认为是损伤反应的关键因素。以前的研究调查了区域依赖的分布模式，但没有关于血管密度及其与年龄相关的变化的定量数据。

假设/目的：

本研究的目的是从组织学上分析半月板血管解剖与年龄的关系。假设血管密度会随着年龄的增加而降低。

学习规划：

描述性实验室研究。

方法：

从接受肿瘤切除术或因骨关节炎接受全膝关节置换术的患者中取出人类半月板。从 9 岁以上的 28 名患者中收集了总共 51 个半月板（平均年龄，25.6 ± 20.4 岁；范围 3-79 岁）。免疫组织学染色（α-平滑肌肌动蛋白）结合连续切片和标准化的基于软件的对比检测用于定量分析。使用多重t检验和趋势方差分析对数据进行分析，统计显着性水平为P < .05。

结果：

61-80 岁年龄组半月板总血管密度低于 0-10、11-20 和 21-30 岁年龄组（P < .01）。随着年龄的增加，检测到负线性趋势（斜率，-0.007；P = .016）。在红白 (RW) 区域内，0 至 10 岁和 11 至 20 岁年龄组的血管密度较低。在这些年龄组之外，在 RW 区没有发现脉管系统。对于白-白 (WW) 区，在任何年龄组中均未发现血管形成。半月板中几乎 95% 的血管位于囊内。

结论：

这项研究报告了微血管解剖的定量组织学数据作为人类膝关节半月板广泛队列中年龄的函数。总血管密度随着年龄的增加而降低。青春期后在 RW 和 WW 区未检测到血管形成。此外，与半月板的任何其他部分相比，胶囊的血管化程度要高得多。

临床相关性：

血管密度可能是另一个需要考虑的因素，以及撕裂位置和患者年龄，用于未来的治疗选择。