Stiffness of meniscus tissue depends on tibio-femoral load and structural integrity of the meniscus root.

Polyurethane and collagen meniscus implants showed an inferior stiffness com- pared to the native meniscus. These findings might be relevant for the material choice in artificial meniscus replacements and the fixation of allografts. Biomechanical testing of isolated tissue specimens could underestimate the effective menis- cus tissue stiffness compared to a physiological joint environment.