Analysis of preliminary clinical results of meniscal allograft transplantation.

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to report the preliminary outcomes of a series of patients who had undergone allograft meniscus transplantation with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Methods From June 2006 to July 2008,19 consecutive patients underwent meniscus allograft transplantation. Of them, 18 cases were included in this study. There were nine males and nine females. The patients ranged from twenty-one to fifty-two years old, with an average age of 38 years.The injury of anterior eruciate ligament was found in 7patients. There were multiple injury of ligaments of knee and fracture of tibial plateau in 2 pa-tients and one patient. Surgical technique:16 menisci were transplanted using the double bone plug tech-nique, 2 lateral menisci wers fixed using the bone bridge technique. Variable meniscus repair techniques were used for suturing the graft menisci's tim to capsule.The injury of ligament could be repaired stably by a concomitant reconstructive procedure at the time of transplantation or a separate surgery. Results Eighteen patients were followed up. The follow-up time ranged from 16 to 41 months,with the mean of 26 months. The allogrates were assessed by second-look arthroscopy. It comfirmed that 16 cases were normal or nearly nor-mal and two (11%)failed which solved with meniscectomy. Postoperative stiff knee occured in one patient who required arthroscopic arthrolysis. One patient with meniscal cyst underwent conservative treatment. 15 patients were assessed by full subjective evaluation. The mean Lysholm scores had improved from 67 to 85. On IKDC evaluation, two patients were grade A and twelve were grade B, one were grade C. With regard to pain and satisfaction, the average VAS had improved from 6.2 to 2.1. Conclusion Arthrosocpic meniscus transplantation can achieve satisfied subjective and objective clinical outcomes with 89% survival rate over a mean follow-up period of 26 months. Key words: Menisci,tibial; Transplantation,homologous; Endoscopy