Long Cracks Can Alter Failure Mechanism of Meniscus in Radial Direction: An Animal Experimental Study

This study investigates the potential for fracture failure in the knee meniscus under tensile loading with different crack lengths and its response in the femoral and tibial layers. Bovine knee meniscus tissue was used to prepare specimens with crack-to-sample-width ratios of 20%, 40%, and 60%. Results showed that cracks of 60% or more in both layers caused significant reductions in ultimate tensile strength (UTS), indicating fracture failure. The tibial layer demonstrated higher sensitivity to crack length, with a decrease in UTS of 62% compared to the femoral layer’s 40%. These findings provide quantitative insights into the meniscus’ vulnerability to fracture and highlight the importance of considering layer-specific responses in injury assessments and treatment strategies. However, further investigations are needed to replicate real-life conditions and improve our understanding of meniscus failure mechanisms.