title: Changes of rabbit meniscus influenced by hyaline cartilage injury of osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease in the elderly population. Most of the previous OA-related researches focused on articular cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation and synovitis etc. However, the role of the meniscus in these pathological changes has not been given enough attention. The goal of our study was to find the pathological changes of the meniscus in OA knee and determine their relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 months old female Chinese rabbits received either knee damaging operations with articular cartilage scratch method or sham operation randomly on one of their knees. They were sacrificed after 1-6 weeks post-operation. Medial Displacement Index (MDI) for meniscus dislocation, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for routine histological evaluation, Toluidine blue (TB) stains for evaluating proteoglycans were carried out. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed with a two-step detection kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological analysis showed chondrocyte clusters around cartilage lesions and moderate loss of proteoglycans in the operation model, as well as MDI increase and all characteristics of OA. High expression of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 also were found in both hyaline cartilage and meniscus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biomechanical and biochemistry environment around the meniscus is altered when OA occur. If meniscus showed degeneration, subluxation and dysfunction, OA would be more severe. Prompt repair or reconstruction of hyaline cartilage in weight bearing area when it injured could prevent meniscus degeneration and subluxation, then prevent the development of OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jiajun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Suizhu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Chunan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital No. 7, Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University No. 1, Jianshedong Road, Zhengzhou 45003, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: Cartilage injury; MMP-3; TIMP-1; meniscus subluxation; osteoarthritis