Shedding light on the effects of blood on meniscus tissue: the role of mononuclear leukocytes in mediating meniscus catabolism

Objective: Traumatic meniscal injuries can cause acute pain, hemarthrosis (bleeding into the joint), joint immobility, and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). However, the exact mechanism(s) by which PTOA develops following meniscal injuries is unknown. Since meniscus tears commonly coincide with hemarthrosis, investigating the direct effects of blood and its constituents on meniscus tissue is warranted. The goal of this study was to determine the direct effects of blood and blood components on meniscus tissue catabolism.

Methods: Porcine meniscus explants or primary meniscus cells were exposed to whole blood or various fractions of blood for 3 days to simulate blood exposure following injury. Explants were then washed and cultured for an additional 3 days prior to collection for biochemical analyses.

Results: Whole blood increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Fractionation experiments revealed blood-derived red blood cells did not affect meniscus catabolism. Conversely, viable mononuclear leukocytes induced MMP activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and loss of tissue sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content, suggesting that these cells are mediating meniscus catabolism.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential challenges of meniscus healing in the presence of hemarthrosis and the need for further research to elucidate the in vivo effects of blood and blood-derived mononuclear leukocytes due to both hemarthrosis and blood-derived therapeutics.