Structure-Function relationships of equine menisci.
Authors: Ribitsch Iris, Peham Christian, Ade Nicole, Dürr Julia, Handschuh Stephan, Schramel Johannes Peter, Vogl Claus, Walles Heike, Egerbacher Monika, Jenner Florien
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Structure-Function Relationships of Equine Menisci Meniscal injuries represent a significant clinical challenge in equine orthopaedics, yet the biomechanical properties of horse menisci remain poorly characterised despite their obvious relevance to injury prevention and repair strategies. Ribitsch and colleagues conducted a detailed investigation of medial and lateral menisci from horses of varying ages, employing histological analysis to assess tissue structure alongside mechanical testing (shore hardness, stiffness, and energy dissipation) at different anatomical locations and tissue depths. Shore hardness demonstrated clear age-related increases and site-specific variation, with the tibial surface consistently harder than the fibrocartilage core, whereas stiffness and energy loss parameters showed no significant differences across age groups or locations. These findings establish a biomechanical baseline for equine menisci and reveal that material properties vary topographically in ways similar to human knee menisci, strengthening the case for horses as translational models in meniscal tissue engineering research and potentially informing targeted therapeutic approaches for managing meniscal degeneration in clinical practice.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Meniscal injuries in horses show location-dependent biomechanical properties similar to humans, suggesting injuries to weight-bearing zones (cranial medial horn) may have different clinical progression than other sites
- •Age-related changes in meniscal hardness indicate that younger and older horses may respond differently to meniscal injury or repair interventions
- •Understanding equine meniscus structure provides a foundation for developing better therapeutic strategies for meniscal degeneration and supporting evidence-based treatment protocols
Key Findings
- •Shore hardness of equine menisci showed both age-specific and site-specific changes, with higher values on the tibial surface and increasing with age
- •Stiffness and energy loss of meniscal tissue showed no significant site-specific or age-related differences
- •Macroscopic and histologic similarities between equine and human menisci support the horse as a suitable translational model for meniscus tissue engineering research
- •Equine meniscus biomechanical properties vary by anatomical location and age, paralleling patterns observed in human menisci