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Knee Joint Immobilization Decreases Aggrecan Gene Expression in the Meniscus

Mladen Djurasovic, MD^,, John W. Aldridge, MD, Robert Grumbles, PhD, Melvin P. Rosenwasser, MD, David Howell, MD and Anthony Ratcliffe, PhD

Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York
Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida

Presented at the interim meeting of the AOSSM, San Francisco, California, February 1997.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Mladen Djurasovic, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, PH 11–1130 129, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032

Aggrecan is the major proteoglycan of the meniscus, and its primary function is to give the meniscus its viscoelastic compressive properties. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of joint immobilization on aggrecan gene expression in the meniscus. The right hindlimbs of six mature beagles were knee cast-immobilized in 90° of flexion and supported by a sling to prevent weightbearing, while the contralateral limb was left free to bear weight. The animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks, and the anterior and posterior halves of the medial and lateral menisci were analyzed separately. Analysis of aggrecan gene expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed decreased aggrecan gene expression in menisci from immobilized knees (P < 0.01, two-way analysis of variance). Aggrecan gene expression decreased by a factor of 2 to 5.5 in the different regions examined. Analysis of the composition of the meniscus also showed decreased proteoglycan content and increased water content with immobilization (P < 0.05, two-way analysis of variance). These results show that joint immobilization can significantly affect meniscal cellular activity and composition and can therefore potentially affect meniscal function.

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