# Diversity Supplement: How Partial Meniscectomy Affects Contact Mechanics and Tissue Response

> **NIH NIH R01** · HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY · 2020 · $90,604

## Abstract

Project Summary
The optimal surgical treatment for posteromedial meniscal root tears, a debilitating injury, is controversial. While
many agree that the reduction of the meniscus to the native ‘anatomic’ position is required to restore function,
this can be technically challenging to implement. As a result, meniscal root repairs are often reduced in various
nonanatomic locations on the tibia, the functional consequences of which are poorly understood. We have
previously shown that during simulated walking, some knees are ‘meniscal loaders’, while others bypass the
meniscus and place higher focal forces on areas of cartilage-to-cartilage contact. We ask the question: are some
knees more sensitive to meniscal root repair position than others? Our overall objective is to evaluate the
biomechanical effects of position on posteromedial meniscal root repairs under dynamic loading
conditions. Our central hypothesis is that there is a knee-dependent ‘safe zone’ for the repair position of
posterior medial meniscal root tears, which will minimize changes in joint mechanics during level walking. To test
our central hypothesis, we have developed two aims that harness the strengths of both cadaveric and
computational modeling approaches. Specific Aim 1: Investigate joint contact stress throughout level
walking after medial nonanatomic root repairs. We will use a cadaveric model to quantify changes in contact
mechanics and kinematics after anatomic and nonanatomic repairs for posteromedial meniscal root tears during
simulated stair climbing and level walking. We will test the hypotheses that: (1) anatomic root repairs will restore
joint contact mechanics to intact during level walking better than nonanatomic medial root repairs (2) both repairs
will restore contact mechanics to intact better than untreated root tears. Specific Aim 2: Quantify the effect of
meniscal root repair position on joint mechanics during level walking. The data generated in SA1 will be
used to create validated finite element models, where more precise control over the variation in attachment
position is possible. We will test the hypothesis that there is a knee-dependent ‘safe zone’ for the position of
posteromedial meniscal root repairs, which can restore the distribution of contact stress to that of the intact
condition during level walking. By combining the data generated from SA1 and SA2, we aim to develop new
clinical guidelines for the ideal position of meniscal root repairs to restore joint function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10170899
- **Project number:** 3R01AR075523-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
- **Principal Investigator:** Suzanne A. Maher
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $90,604
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-08-12 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10170899

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10170899, Diversity Supplement: How Partial Meniscectomy Affects Contact Mechanics and Tissue Response (3R01AR075523-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10170899. Licensed CC0.

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