Abstract
Fresh frozen menisci have recently been shown to have an altered meniscal ultrastructure. The cause might be a deterioration of its permeability due to collagen net disarray. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cryopreserved meniscus in terms of ultrastructure and cellularity. Ten fresh human lateral menisci were harvested. Collagen architecture was evaluated with transmission electron microscopy. The Collagen Meniscal Architecture scoring system was used to assess the degree of meniscal disarray. Cell population, was also evaluated. The fibril collagen diameters of those menisci which had been previously cryopreserved showed an average size in the longitudinal section of 12.6 ± 1.3 nm, whereas it was 13.4 ± 2.2 nm in the menisci used as controls (n.s.). In the transverse section, the cryopreserved menisci averaged 15.5 ± 2.4 and 16.7 ± 3.5 nm in the controls (n.s.). The study group scored 4.8 points ± 1.7, whereas the control group did so at 4.1 ± 1.3 (n.s.). The percentage of cell survival after the cryopreservation ranged from 4 to 54. The fibril diameters and degree of disarray showed a similar distribution in both groups. The results suggest that meniscal cryopreservation does not alter the meniscal ultrastructure. Therefore, an allograft stored in that way would not alter its biomechanical properties, although its cellular viability is highly unpredictable.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00167-009-0736-x/MediaObjects/167_2009_736_Fig1_HTML.jpg)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00167-009-0736-x/MediaObjects/167_2009_736_Fig2_HTML.jpg)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnoczky SP, McDevitt CA, Schmidt MB, Mow VC, Warren RF (1988) The effect of cryopreservation on canine menisci: a biochemical, morphologic, and biomechanical evaluation. J Orthop Res 6:1–12
Arnoczky SP, Dicarlo EF, O’Brien SJ, Warren RF (1992) Cellular repopulation of deep-frozen meniscal autografts: an experimental study in the dog. Arthroscopy 8:428–436
Chen J, Iosifidis M, Zhu J, Tatarinsev I, Wang J (2006) Vanadate ingestion enhances the organization and collagen fibril diameters of rat healing medical collateral ligaments. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 14:750–755
DeBeer P, Decorte R, Delvaux S, Bellemans J (2000) DNA analysis of a transplanted cryopreserved meniscal allograft. Arthroscopy 16:71–75
Fabbriciani C, Lucania L, Milano G, Schiavone Panni A, Evangelisti M (1997) Meniscal allografts: cryopreservation versus deep-frozen technique. An experimental study in goats. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 5:124–134
Gelber PE, Gonzalez G, Lloreta JL, Reina F, Caceres E, Monllau JC (2008) Freezing causes changes in the meniscus collagen net: a new ultrastructural meniscus disarray scale. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 16:353–359
Giannini S, Buda R, Di Caprio F, Agati P, Bigi A, De Pascuale V, Ruggeri A (2008) Effects of freezing on the biomechanical and structural properties of human posterior tibial tendons. Int Orthop 32:145–151
Graf KW Jr, Sekiya JK, Wojtys EM (2004) Long-term results after combined medial meniscal allograft transplantation and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: minimum 8.5-year follow-up study. Arthroscopy 20:129–140
Hommen JP, Applegate GR, Del Pizzo W (2007) Meniscus allograft transplantation: ten year results of cryopreserved allografts. Arthroscopy 4:388–393
Lewis PB, Williams JM, Hallab N, Virdi A, Yanke A, Cole BJ (2008) Multiple freeze–thaw cycled meniscal allograft tissue: a biomechanical, biochemical, and histologic analysis. J Orthop Res 1:49–55
Noyes FR, Barber-Westin SD, Butler DL, Wilkins RM (1998) The role of allografts in repair and reconstruction of knee joint ligaments and menisci. Instr Course Lect 47:379–396
Ochi M, Kanda T, Sumen Y, Ikuta Y (1997) Changes in the permeability and histologic findings of rabbit menisci after immobilization. Clin Orthop Relat Res 334:305–315
Pegg DE (2006) The preservation of tissues for transplantation. Cell Tissue Bank 7:349–358
Rodeo SA, Seneviratne A, Suzuki K, Felker K, Wickiewicz TL, Warren RF (2000) Histological analysis of human meniscal allografts, a preliminary report. J Bone Joint Surg Am 82-A:1071–1082
Salai M, Givon U, Messer Y, von Versen R (1997) Electron microscopic study on the effects of different preservation methods for meniscal cartilage. Ann Transplant 2:52–54
Shibuya S (1999) Meniscus transplantation using a cryopreserved allograft. Histological and ultrastructural study of the transplanted meniscus. J Orthop Sci 4:135–141
Sumida S (2006) Transfusion and transplantation of cryopreserved cells and tissues. Cell Tissue Bank 7:265–305
Verdonk PCM, Demurie A, Almqvist KF, Veys EM, Verbruggen G, Verdonk R (2005) Transplantation of viable meniscal allograft: survivorship analysis and clinical outcome of one hundred cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am 87:715–724
Verdonk PCM, Verstraete KL, Almqvist KF, De Cuyper K, Veys EM, Verbruggen G, Verdonk R (2006) Meniscal allograft transplantation: long-term clinical results with radiological and magnetic imaging correlations. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 14:694–706
Verdonk R, Khon D (1999) Harvest and conservation of meniscal allografts. Scand J Med Sci Sports 9:158–159
Wada Y, Amiel M, Harwood F, Moriya H, Amiel D (1998) Architectural remodeling in deep frozen meniscal allografts after total meniscectomy. Arthroscopy 14:250–257
Wirth CJ, Peters G, Milachowski KA, Weismeier KG, Kohn D (2002) Long-term results of meniscal allograft transplantation. Am J Sports Med 30:174–181
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gelber, P.E., Gonzalez, G., Torres, R. et al. Cryopreservation does not alter the ultrastructure of the meniscus. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 17, 639–644 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-0736-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-0736-x