The effects of freezing on the material properties and structure of bovine medial meniscus.

Menisci serve as shock absorbers and stabilizers in the knee. Bovine meniscus is often used as a model for human meniscus because it is inexpensive and readily available. During experiments, the bovine menisci are usually frozen and thawed repeatedly to maintain freshness through specimen transport and during the study. Previous studies did not take into account the effects of multiple freezing and thawing cycles (FTCs) on the mechanical properties [32, 33, 35, 47]. The current study will observe the effects, if any, of repeated FTC‟s on the viscoelastic properties and structure of bovine meniscus. Five test groups were created consisting of five menisci each. After treatment, a plug was taken from each meniscus and compressed in a confined compression chamber for 20,000 seconds. Displacement and specimen dimensions were measured, and aggregate Modulus (HA) and tissue permeability (λ) were calculated. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to view the structure.