Changes of the elastin compartment in the human meniscus

Höpker, Wilhelm-Wolfgang; Angres, G.; Klingel, Karin; Komitowski, D.; Schuchardt, E.

doi:10.1007/bf00705337

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Human meniscal degeneration has also been described by several authors [18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 31, 32, 35–37, 39, 44–49]. However, most of the grading systems for meniscus pathology are MRI-based, and describe tears and grades of mucoid degeneration [19, 50–53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroscopic and histopathologic analysis of human knee menisci in aging and osteoarthritis

Pauli

Grogan

Patil

et al. 2011

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

310

306

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Objective Meniscus lesions following trauma or associated with osteoarthritis (OA) have been described, yet meniscus aging has not been systematically analyzed. The objectives of this study were to (i) establish standardized protocols for representative macroscopic and microscopic analysis, (ii) improve existing scoring systems, and (iii) apply these techniques to a large number of human menisci. Design Medial and lateral menisci from 107 human knees were obtained and cut in two different planes (triangle/crossection and transverse/horizontal) in three separate locations (mid portion, anterior and posterior horns). All sections included vascular and avascular regions and were graded for i) surface integrity, ii) cellularity, iii) matrix/fiber organization and collagen alignment, and iv) Safranin-O staining intensity. The cartilage in all knee compartments was also scored. Results The new macroscopic and microscopic grading systems showed high inter-reader and intra-reader intraclass correlation coefficients. The major age-related changes in menisci in joints with no or minimal OA included increased Safranin-O staining intensity, decreased cell density, the appearance of acellular zones, and evidence of mucoid degeneration with some loss of collagen fiber organization. The earliest meniscus changes occurred predominantly along the inner rim. Menisci from OA joints showed severe fibrocartilaginous separation of the matrix, extensive fraying, tears and calcification. Abnormal cell arrangements included decreased cellularity, diffuse hypercellularity along with cellular hypertrophy and abnormal cell clusters. In general, the anterior horns of both medial and lateral menisci were less affected by age and OA. Conclusions New standardized protocols and new validated grading systems allowed us to conduct a more systematic evaluation of changes in aging and OA menisci at a macroscopic and microscopic level. Several meniscus abnormalities appear to be specific to aging in the absence of significant OA. With aging the meniscal surface can be intact but abnormal matrix organization and cellularity was observed within the meniscal substance. The increased Safranin-O staining appears to represent a shift from fibroblastic to chondrocytic phenotype during aging and early degeneration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroscopic and histopathologic analysis of human knee menisci in aging and osteoarthritis

Pauli

Grogan

Patil

et al. 2011

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

310

306

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“…Regarding glycoproteins, fibronectin, constituting 8–13% of the dry weight in the meniscus, takes part in tissue repair, embryogenesis, and cell migration/adhesion (Fox et al , 2012). Elastin, which accounts for less than 0.6% of the dry weight in the meniscus (Höpker et al , 1986), most likely interacts directly with collagen to provide resiliency to the tissue (Fithian et al , 1990). Link protein (LP) can stabilize proteoglycan-hyaluronic acid aggregates that are situated around the collagen bunches in the interterritorial matrix (Fife, 1985).…”

Section: Matrix Microenvironmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meniscus, articular cartilage and nucleus pulposus: a comparative review of cartilage-like tissues in anatomy, development and function

et al. 2017

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The degradation of cartilage in the human body is impacted by aging, disease, genetic predisposition, and continued insults resulting from daily activity. The burden of cartilage defects (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, intervertebral disc damage, knee replacement surgeries, etc.) is daunting in light of substantial economic and social stresses. This review strives to broaden the scope of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering approaches used for cartilage repair by comparing and contrasting the anatomical and functional nature of the meniscus, articular cartilage (AC), and nucleus pulposus (NP). Many review papers have provided detailed evaluations of these cartilages and cartilage-like tissues individually, but none have comprehensively examined the parallels and inconsistencies in signaling, genetic expression, and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition between tissues. For the first time, this review outlines the importance of understanding these three tissues as unique entities, providing a comparative analysis of anatomy, ultrastructure, biochemistry, and function for each tissue. This novel approach highlights the similarities and differences between tissues, progressing research toward an understanding of what defines each tissue as distinctive. The goal of this paper is to provide researchers with the fundamental knowledge to correctly engineer the meniscus, AC, and NP without inadvertently developing the wrong tissue function or biochemistry.

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“…With advancing age, the meniscus becomes stiffer, loses elasticity, and becomes yellow. 78,95 Microscopically, there is a gradual loss of cellular elements with empty spaces and an increase in fibrous tissue in comparison with elastic tissue. 74 These cystic areas can initiate a tear, and with a torsional force by the femoral condyle, the superficial layers of the meniscus may shear off from the deep layer at the interface of the cystic degenerative change, producing a horizontal cleavage tear.…”

Section: Maturation and Aging Of The Meniscusmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Basic Science of Human Knee Menisci

Fox

Bedi

Rodeo

2011

Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach

460

263

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Context:Information regarding the structure, composition, and function of the knee menisci has been scattered across multiple sources and fields. This review contains a concise, detailed description of the knee menisci—including anatomy, etymology, phylogeny, ultrastructure and biochemistry, vascular anatomy and neuroanatomy, biomechanical function, maturation and aging, and imaging modalities.Evidence Acquisition:A literature search was performed by a review of PubMed and OVID articles published from 1858 to 2011.Results:This study highlights the structural, compositional, and functional characteristics of the menisci, which may be relevant to clinical presentations, diagnosis, and surgical repairs.Conclusions:An understanding of the normal anatomy and biomechanics of the menisci is a necessary prerequisite to understanding the pathogenesis of disorders involving the knee.

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Changes of the elastin compartment in the human meniscus

Cited by 15 publications

References 18 publications

Macroscopic and histopathologic analysis of human knee menisci in aging and osteoarthritis

Macroscopic and histopathologic analysis of human knee menisci in aging and osteoarthritis

Meniscus, articular cartilage and nucleus pulposus: a comparative review of cartilage-like tissues in anatomy, development and function

The Basic Science of Human Knee Menisci

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