Influence of Donor Age on the Biomechanical and Biochemical Properties of Human Meniscal Allografts

Background: Although the use of meniscal allografts to replace severely damaged or absent menisci is commonplace, little is known about the effects of donor age on the biochemical and biomechanical properties of human menisci. Hypothesis: The mechanical and biochemical properties of human medial and lateral menisci from donors less than 45 years of age do not vary with donor age. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Thirty-three lateral and 25 medial menisci from 34 donors (26 male and 8 female) ranging from 15 to 44 years of age were harvested and immediately stored at-80 degrees C. The outer third of each meniscus was subjected to static and dynamic tensile analysis. In addition, the biochemical composition (collagen, proteoglycan, and water content) of these samples was analyzed. Results: There was no correlation between donor age and static tensile stiffness for either the lateral (R-2 = .003) or medial (R-2 = .002) meniscus. Likewise, there was no correlation between donor age and dynamic tensile modulus for either the lateral or medial meniscus. Although there was a weak, positive correlation between water content and age in both lateral (R-2 = .22) and medial (R-2 = .25) menisci, there was no effect of age on collagen or proteoglycan content. There were no differences (P > .05) between female and male menisci in any of the measured biomechanical or biochemical parameters tested. Conclusion: The tensile properties, as well as the collagen and proteoglycan content, of menisci from donors less than 45 years of age were not age dependent. Clinical Relevance: The age of the donor does not appear to affect the initial tensile properties of menisci from donors less than 45 years of age.