The use of musculoskeletal allograft tissue in knee surgery

Abstract

The distribution of musculoskeletal allograft tissue for use in surgical procedures has increased over the past decade from approximately 350,000 in 1990 to over 850,000 in 2001. 1 Bureau USCStatistical Abstracts of the United StatesOrgan Transplants and Grafts. USC, Washington2002 Google Scholar Allograft tissue is routinely used to treat a broad spectrum of knee pathology, the most common of which is deficiency of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It is used in numerous less common orthopaedic procedures of the knee, including meniscal transplantation, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and multiligament reconstructions, and osteochondral replacement. Advances in tissue processing and reports of favorable outcome with the use of allograft tissue in knee surgery have popularized this graft option over the past two decades.