Boundary Mode Frictional Properties of Meniscal Repair Tissue

INTRODUCTION More than 1 million procedures for the total or partial removal of the meniscus are performed in the United States and Europe each year. Damage to the meniscus can destabilize the knee and predispose the joint to further degenerative changes. As such, great interest exists in developing implants for the treatment of meniscal tears. Previous studies showed promising results in the regeneration of tissue in meniscal lesions in dogs using degradable porous polymer scaffolds [1,2]. In spite of the important role of the meniscus as an articular load-bearing surface, little information is available on the mechanical behavior of the resultant meniscal tissues. Frictional properties may be particularly important, since the meniscus articulates against articular cartilage during the gait cycle. Specifically, boundary mode frictional properties of this neo-tissue are of great interest, because these conditions produce the highest friction coefficient (μ) and are thus most likely to induce damage to the apposing tissue. Therefore, we sought to quantify the boundary mode friction coefficient of engineered meniscal repair tissue in sheep over the course of 1 year.