MetaBioMec | Biomechanics of menisci: a multiscale experimental, theoretical and modelling approach for biomimetic meniscal replacements

Summary
The meniscus plays a critical role in load transmission, stability and energy dissipation in the knee joint. Loss of the meniscus leads to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. In a number of cases replacement of the resected meniscal tissue by a synthetic implant might avoid the articular cartilage degeneration. None of the available implants presents optimal biomechanics characteristic due to the fact the biomechanics functionality of the meniscus is not yet fully understood. Mimicking the native biomechanical characteristics of the menisci seems to be the key factor in meniscus replacement functioning. This is extremely challenging due to its complex inhomogeneous microstructure, the lack of a full experimental characterization of the material properties and the lack of 3D theoretical, numerical and computational models which can reproduce and validate the experimental results. Therefore, the aim of this work is a thorough understanding of the menisci biomechanics with the view of translating the knowlege to the orthopeadic implants arena. The objective of the proposal be achieved through (i) designing and performing a range of innovative experimental tests to characterize the behaviour of the meniscus tissue at the micro and macroscale, (ii) building an appropriate and novel multiscale anisotropic model at the tissue level which takes into account the fractal dimension of the porous menisci’s tissue, (iii) implementing the material model in commercial finite element (FE) software and (vi) build and validate an accurate FE biomechanical model of the knee joint (which includes the meniscus) in order to model the biomechanical behaviour of the menisci when subjected to a range of mechanical stress which is not reproducible in an experimental context.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/796405
Start date: 11-06-2018
End date: 10-06-2020
Total budget - Public funding: 176 123,23 Euro - 176 123,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The meniscus plays a critical role in load transmission, stability and energy dissipation in the knee joint. Loss of the meniscus leads to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. In a number of cases replacement of the resected meniscal tissue by a synthetic implant might avoid the articular cartilage degeneration. None of the available implants presents optimal biomechanics characteristic due to the fact the biomechanics functionality of the meniscus is not yet fully understood. Mimicking the native biomechanical characteristics of the menisci seems to be the key factor in meniscus replacement functioning. This is extremely challenging due to its complex inhomogeneous microstructure, the lack of a full experimental characterization of the material properties and the lack of 3D theoretical, numerical and computational models which can reproduce and validate the experimental results. Therefore, the aim of this work is a thorough understanding of the menisci biomechanics with the view of translating the knowlege to the orthopeadic implants arena. The objective of the proposal be achieved through (i) designing and performing a range of innovative experimental tests to characterize the behaviour of the meniscus tissue at the micro and macroscale, (ii) building an appropriate and novel multiscale anisotropic model at the tissue level which takes into account the fractal dimension of the porous menisci’s tissue, (iii) implementing the material model in commercial finite element (FE) software and (vi) build and validate an accurate FE biomechanical model of the knee joint (which includes the meniscus) in order to model the biomechanical behaviour of the menisci when subjected to a range of mechanical stress which is not reproducible in an experimental context.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2017

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
MSCA-IF-2017