Meniscus Characterization & Tissue Engineering

Motivation

Meniscal injuries are among the most common knee injuries and result in over 1 million surgeries a year in the US.  Menisci have limited repair capability and injury results in pain, swelling, mechanical instability, and increased risk for osteoarthritis.  Currently the only treatment for whole meniscal replacement are cadaveric allograft transplantations, which are limited in supply, carry a risk of disease transmission, and can have size matching issues. Additionally, the meniscus requires an attachment into bone, an enthesis, to function properly. The strength of this attachment is correlated with patient recovery and is necessary for a full meniscus replacement.

Current Research

  • Development of tissue engineered whole meniscal replacement [Collaborations: Estroff Lab (Cornell)]
  • Develop tissue engineered enthesis construct [Collaborations: Estroff Lab (Cornell)]

We have developed an anatomically correct high density collagen meniscus and are currently investigating and the use of chemical and mechanical stimulation to improve the organization of collagen and mechanical properties of tissue engineered menisci and enthesis.

Lab Members

Collaborations

Estroff Lab – Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

 

2015_1043_055

Tissue engineered collagen meniscus.

 

 

 

2015_1043_039Tissue engineered meniscus implanted into ovine cadaver stifle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picrosirius Red stained polarized light micrograph of neonatal bovine meniscus.