The effects of hyaluronan on the meniscus in the anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency often induces meniscal tears and, ultimately, degenerative joint disease. The hypothesis of this study was that hyaluronan (HA; MW = 8 x 105) may have a protective effect on the medial meniscus following a period of ACL deficiency. The animal model consisted of creating an ACL deficiency by ACL transection (ACLT) in 51 mature New Zealand white rabbits. Postoperative injections started 4 weeks after ACLT to allow the ACL deficiency to create a degenerative change in the meniscus. The first group (n = 26) was injected with HA and the second group (n = 25) was injected with vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline) in their ACL-deficient knees once a week for 5 weeks, in a protocol similar to that used clinically. At the end of the injections, the HA-treated menisci showed a reduced meniscus area histomorphometrically (P<0.01), as well as a decrease in water content (P<0.01) when compared with the vehicle-treated menisci. The matrix composition of the menisci was assessed by the total glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) content, which decreased in the vehicle-treated menisci (P<0.05) but did not decrease in the HA-treated menisci. In our model, a positive effect of HA was observed biochemically on the preservation of the meniscus matrix composition in the ACL-deficient knee.
Sonoda
M
M
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Kawatetsu Hospital, 1-11-12 Minami-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0842, Japan.
Harwood
F L
FL
Amiel
M E
ME
Moriya
H
H
Amiel
D
D
D000818:Animals; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits
D006820:Hyaluronic Acid