A partial meniscal replacement substitutes an irreparably-damage portion of meniscus with a substitute, such as tissue-engineered collagen.
Page updated July 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Collagen scaffold sewn in to replace a damaged meniscal region.
Types of scaffold for meniscal replacement
Donated cadaver meniscus and collagen-engineered meniscus are now commonly-used to replace damaged meniscus tissue.
Although the substituted material is not alive, the hope is that blood vessels and meniscus cells will migrate into the substitute and start to produce the fibres that will eventually give strength to the implant.
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Quote from peer-reviewed paper:
"....Autologous, allogenic, and artificial meniscal substitutes are available which have evolved in recent years....While autologous meniscal substitution has not been successful, the techniques of meniscal allograft transplantation evolved to become the current standard-of-care for total meniscal insufficiency. Increasing clinical evidence for the efficacy of artificial scaffold-based meniscal substitutes has emerged for the treatment of irreparable partial meniscal injuries....."
Citation: Winkler PW, Rothrauff BB, Buerba RA, Shah N, Zaffagnini S, Alexander P, Musahl V. Meniscal substitution, a developing and long-awaited demand. J Exp Orthop. 2020 Jul 25;7(1):55. doi: 10.1186/s40634-020-00270-6. PMID: 32712722; PMCID: PMC7382673.
Synonyms:
Meniscus scaffold
Meniscal scaffold
Tissue-engineered meniscus
Collagen meniscus
Meniscal implant
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