Meniscus Transplantation in an Active Population With Moderate to Severe Cartilage Damage
Kevin R. Stone, Jonathan R. Pelsis, Scott T. Surrette, Ann W. Walgenbach, Thomas J. Turek
Research Question: For active patients with significant knee cartilage damage and a missing or badly damaged meniscus, can a meniscus transplant reduce pain, improve knee function, and allow them to return to sports?
The study followed 49 active patients with moderate-to-severe knee cartilage damage who received a meniscus transplant, often along with cartilage repair, for an average of 8.6 years.
Key Finding: Meniscus transplantation produced lasting improvements in pain and knee function, and about 74% of patients were able to return to sports. The transplanted meniscus was estimated to remain successful for an average of 12.6 years, despite these patients already having substantial cartilage damage.