title: Impact of Partial and complete rupture of anterior cruciate ligament on medial meniscus: A cadavaric study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical relationship between medial meniscus tear and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture has been well documented. However, the mechanism of this clinical phenomenon is not exactly explained. Our aim is to investigate the biomechanical impact of partial and complete ACL rupture on different parts of medial meniscus.
  
  
  METHODS
  TWELVE FRESH HUMAN CADAVERIC KNEE SPECIMENS WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: ACL intact (ACL-I), anteromedial bundle transection (AMB-T), posterolateral bundle transection (PLB-T), and ACL complete transection (ACL-T) group. Strain on the anterior horn, body part, and posterior horn of medial meniscus were measured under 200 N axial compressive tibial load at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group (ACL-I), the ACL-T group had a higher strain on whole medial meniscus at 0°, 60°, and 90° of flexion. But at 30°, it had a higher strain on posterior horn of meniscus only. As to PLB-T group, strain on whole meniscus increased at full extension, while strain increased on posterior horn at 30° and on body of meniscus at 60°. However, AMB-T only brought about higher strain at 60° of flexion on body and posterior horn of meniscus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar to complete rupture, partial rupture of ACL can also trigger strain concentration on medial meniscus, especially posterior horn, which may be a more critical reason for meniscus injury associated with chronic ACL deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shu-Guang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Kang-Hua
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Guang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lei