meniscal allograft

Meniscus Allograft Survival in Patients with Moderate to Severe Unicompartmental Arthritis: A 2- to 7-Year Follow-up

Published in 2006, Dr Kevin R Stone and his colleagues present the results of a study to determine the outcome in patients who had meniscal transplants even though they had pre-existing joint damage ('arthrosis'). Their conclusions were -

Meniscus transplant is only twenty years old, and has become an established procedure only in the last five. However, meniscal transplant is NOT a cure-all and is not the answer for every patient suffering the long term consequences of total meniscectomy. For example, in patients where a previous total meniscectomy has left the joint damaged, with established painful arthritis and collapse of the joint space, the results coming in suggest that meniscal transplant is likely to be a waste of time and a waste of valuable donor material.