Meniscal tear biomechanics: loads across meniscal tears in human cadaveric knees

This study examined the forces during motion across human meniscal tears. Longitudinal cuts were created in 6 human cadaveric knees at the red-white junction of the medial and lateral menisci into which a pressure transducer was placed. Pressure data were gathered with the knees at neutral, internal rotation, and external rotation and matched to knee flexion. The meniscal cuts were compressed throughout the range of motion. No distraction pressures were observed. Therefore, meniscal tear displacement does not occur with knee motion and a meniscal repair device load-to-failure strength may be less important than the device's ability to accurately reduce a meniscal tear and avoid shear stress.