title: Development of an artificial meniscus using polyvinyl alcohol-hydrogel for early return to, and continuance of, athletic life in sportspersons with severe meniscus injury. II: animal experiments.
abstract: Due to the prognosis and sporting needs of young athletes who have severe meniscus injury, we have developed an artificial meniscus using polyvinyl alcohol-hydrogel (PVA-H). Biomechanical studies have shown that the human meniscus has various mechanical functions; in our mechanical tests, specimens of human meniscus (part I of this study) demonstrated unique viscoelastic properties. Those tests also showed that a high water-content PVA-H has very similar mechanical properties to those of human meniscus and potential as a substitutive meniscus implant. To assess further the use of PVA-H as an artificial meniscus, we have now performed animal experiments using a PVA-H with 90% water content. In rabbits, the lateral meniscus was replaced with an artificial meniscus in one knee of each animal and lateral meniscectomy was performed on the other side as a control. In the knees of meniscectomy group, degenerative changes in articular cartilage progressed with time and osteoarthritis was observed after 1 year. In the knees of the artificial meniscus group, regressive changes were initially observed, but did not progress, and knee joint function was good even after 1 year. Neither wear nor breakage were observed in artificial menisci. These results suggest that an artificial meniscus using a high water-content PVA-H might be clinically applicable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Jyunya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toguchida
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011817:Rabbits; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C062364:polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol