The torn meniscus, the torn anterior cruciate ligament, and their relationship to degenerative joint disease

It has been speculated that joint instability resulting from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture could be exacerbated by changes in vasomotor activity in the remaining supporting structures. In this study, the effect of ACL transection on medial collateral ligament (MCL) basal perfusion and its responsiveness to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and sympathetic adrenergic influences was examined. Using urethan-anesthetized rabbits, we tested the effects of CGRP and its antagonist CGRP-(8—37) by topical application of these agents to the exposed knee while sympathetic influences were tested by electrically stimulating the saphenous nerve. It was found that MCL basal perfusion was elevated in ACL-sectioned joints; however, this effect was abrogated by prior resection of the articular nerve supply. At the doses tested, the normal vasodilator response to CGRP was abolished in ACL-sectioned joints, whereas the response to CGRP-(8—37) was attenuated. Even under the influence of increased constrictor tone, MCL and capsule blood vessels still showed substantially reduced responses to exogenous CGRP administration. By contrast, nerve-mediated constrictor responses were mostly unaffected by joint instability. This study suggests that posttraumatic knee joint hyperemia is neurogenically mediated, possibly by increased secretion of CGRP.

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Dietary Supplements of Shiikuwasha Extract Attenuates Osteoarthritis Progression in Meniscal/ligamentous Injury and Obese Rats

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11061312 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1312 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yu-Wen Yen ◽

Ying-Jiun Lai ◽

Zwe-Ling Kong

Keyword(s):

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Cartilage Degeneration ◽

Degenerative Joint Disease ◽

Janus Kinase ◽

Joint Disease ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Bioactive Substances ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease, is characterized by joint cartilage loss and is strongly linked to obesity. Medicine to alleviate pain is currently the only treatment. Shiikuwasha extract (SE) has been reported to possess valuable bioactive substances exhibiting anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and anticancer effects. Research is limited to the use of SE in the treatment of OA and obesity. We performed both anterior cruciate ligament transections and medial meniscectomies to induce OA on Sprague–Dawley rats after 11 weeks of a high fat diet followed by 9 weeks of oral SE administration (300, 600, and 1500 mg/kg). This study showed that SE treatment could reduce weight gain and joint pain. Additionally, SE significantly decreased triglycerides and total cholesterol in plasma of the S1500 group but increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the plasma of the S600 group. Meanwhile, plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was significantly reduced in the S1500 groups. Histopathological findings confirmed administration of SE attenuated cartilage degeneration. Immunohistochemistry examination demonstrated that caspase 3 and phospho-Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2) expression levels on chondrocytes were downregulated by SE treatment. Our findings demonstrate that SE can alleviate OA progression by improving obesity.

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Will the Cranial Cruciate Ligament-Deficient Caprine Stifle Joint Develop Degenerative Joint Disease?

Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1633037 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 07 (01) ◽

pp. 14-17

Author(s):

L. A. Thomson ◽

J. E. F. Houlton ◽

N. Rushton ◽

M.J. Allen

Keyword(s):

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Degenerative Joint Disease ◽

Joint Disease ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Cranial Cruciate Ligament ◽

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency ◽

Stifle Joint ◽

Anterior Cruciate ◽

Meniscal Damage

SummaryUnilateral cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) resection was performed in six goats. Controls for this procedure included the contralateral (non-operated) joints and six normal joints. All CCL-deficient joints had a positive cranial drawer movement throughout the study, whereas all other joints were stable.None of the joints showed gross evidence of degenerative joint disease at necropsy 52 weeks after the operation. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between either the frequency or severity of radiographic abnormalities in the two groups of joints.Despite long-term joint instability, degenerative joint disease did not develop in the CCL-deficient caprine stifle joint. When the goat is used as a model for anterior cruciate ligament-deficiency in man, the significance of any results should be assessed in the light of these findings.The long-term effects of experi-mentally induced cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency were studied in goats. All CCL-deficient joints had a positive cranial drawer movement, both immediately after surgery and at the end of the 52 week study. However, there was no evidence of cartilage or meniscal damage at postmortem examination, and stifle radiographs did not reveal evidence of degenerative joint disease.

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The anterior cruciate ligament in murine post-traumatic osteoarthritis: markers and mechanics

10.1101/2021.11.08.467455 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lorenzo Ramos-Mucci ◽

Ahmed Elsheikh ◽

Craig Keenan ◽

Ashkan Eliasy ◽

Kris D'Aout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Knee Joint ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Rate Sensitivity ◽

Joint Space ◽

Joint Disease ◽

Knee Joints ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a whole joint disease that affects all knee joint tissues. Ligaments, a matrix-rich connective tissue, play an important mechanical function that stabilises the knee joint and yet their role in OA is not well studied. Recent studies have shown that ligament extracellular matrix (ECM) structure is compromised in the early stages of OA, but it remains unclear how this affects ligament function and biomechanics. In this study, the aim was to investigate the structural, cellular and viscoelastic changes in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a murine non-invasive post-traumatic OA (PTOA) model. Non-invasive mechanical loading of the knee joint of C57BL/6J mice (10-week-old) was used as a PTOA model. Knee joints were analysed for joint space mineralisation and the ACLs were assessed with histology and mechanical testing. PTOA knee joints had a 33-46% increase in joint space mineralisation and PTOA knee joint ACLs exhibited ECM modifications, including collagen birefringence and COL2 and proteoglycan deposition. ECM changes were associated with cells expressing chondrogenic markers (SOX9 and RUNX2) expanding from the tibial enthesis to the ACL midbody. Viscoelastic and mechanical changes in the ACLs from PTOA knee joints included a 20-21% decrease in tangent modulus at 2MPa of stress, and a decrease strain rate sensitivity at higher strain rates and a significant increase in relaxation during stress-relaxation, but no changes to hysteresis and ultimate load to failure. These results demonstrate that ACL pathology and viscoelastic function is compromised in murine PTOA knee joints and provides further evidence of the important role of ligaments in the knee joint organ in health and disease.

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