Meniscal Movement During the Gait Cycle Is Sensitive to the Attachment Properties of the Meniscal Horns

The menisci are integral structures within the knee that help provide conforming surfaces between the femoral and tibial cartilage by moving as the knee flexes and thus reducing the contact stresses on the articular cartilage in the knee throughout the knee’s wide range of motion [1]. The menisci are firmly rooted in the tibial plateau at the anterior and posterior horns with more lax attachment in central regions. Thus, the stiffness of these meniscal attachments at the horns is an important consideration when evaluating meniscal function. Hence it is crucial to properly represent the attachment of the menisci at the anterior and posterior horns when evaluating normal motion of the menisci during knee movement. While finite element (FE) models of the tibio-menisco-femoral joint have been useful tool in evaluating meniscal function, previous FE models [2–5] of the knee joint that include the meniscus have not addressed the movement of the menisci during daily activities. Yet it is precisely this mobility of the menisci that permits them to adapt to the movement of the articular surfaces during typical activities and prevent injuries. Thus, the objective of this study was to simulate meniscal motion during a portion of the gait cycle and investigate the sensitivity of meniscal attachment stiffness using a finite element model. A previously established method [4] for attaching the meniscal horns to the tibia was used and its material properties were varied to determine the sensitivity of the movement of the menisci to the properties of the attachments at the horns.