Heterogeneous mechanical response of rat knee menisci to thermomechanical stress

Thermodilatometric, dynamic thermomechanical, and light-microscopic analyses were done on the anterior and posterior regions of the rat knee menisci to correlate regional differences in morphology and extracellular matrix composition with regional mechanical behavior. Following the administration of a general anesthetic, menisci were excised from 12 young female Sprague-Dawley rats. During thermodilatometric and thermomechanical testing, tissue temperature was increased at a constant rate of 3.5 degrees C/min from 30 to 100 degrees C. Light microscopy revealed regional differences in cell density and proteoglycan content. The anterior horn was significantly heavier (greater than 87%) and thicker (greater than 60%) than the posterior region. During thermal analyses, both the anterior and posterior horns decreased in tissue thickness as the temperature increased from 30 to 73 degrees C. After 73 degrees C, however, the posterior horn expanded significantly, whereas the anterior remained in a comparatively contracted state. The rates of linear contraction and expansion of the posterior horn were seven times those of the anterior horn, and the stiffness of the anterior horn was significantly greater than the posterior horn.