Reparative Meniscus Transplant Knee Surgery

The meniscus is a horse-shoe shaped cartilaginous cushion in the knee joints. Frayed cartilage in the knee generally refers to a ripped meniscus.

In case a meniscus has faced extensive damage which could not be restored then its removal or trimming it out would become necessary. In the absence of the meniscus cushioning, lasting knee pains and arthritis could start developing.

In several elderly age group patients having this condition, a knee surgery for replacing knee joint would be the apt choice. However, active individuals below fifty-five years of age could be entitled for another treatment known as meniscal transplant surgery.

Meniscal transplant knee surgery helps in replacing the harmed meniscus with donor-derived cartilage. Meniscal transplant is not suitable for all. Those people having arthritis in the knee would not be particularly benefited from these transplants. However, meniscal transplant would help in providing considerable respite from pain to a select set of individuals.

Description

In case meniscus removal has been done or a person has suffered severe damage to his meniscus, then it could be possible that the articular cartilage which protects the knee would start wearing off, becoming tattered and uneven thus eliciting agonizing sensations when bones move along this bare surface leading to condition known as osteoarthritis.

The objective of doing meniscal transplant knee surgery is for replacing the meniscus cushioning prior to any damage being inflicted to the articular cartilage.

The donor-derived cartilage assists in supporting and stabilizing the knee joint thus relieving knee pains. Physicians anticipate that the transplant would additionally postpone the progress of arthritis; however long-standing outcomes are still unavailable.

Allograft Groundwork

Removal of cartilage tissue in good health is done from a human donor corpse and then put in deep freeze. The tissue is known as allograft. Its sizing, testing and storage are done. One of the most critical aspects behind a successful transplant is correcting sizing. Afterwards, matching of the allograft would be done according to size to an entrant for the method.

Allograft Safety Criteria

Prior to zeroing down on a likely donor, all through screening is done. A person who is familiar with the potential donor would undergo an interview process to aid in identifying risk factors which might foil the usage of the donor’s tissue.

When selection has been done, the donor tissue would undergo several tests that scan for presence of viral forms which could be causing HIV or AIDS, hepatitis B,C among several others.

Eligibility Criteria

Though meniscal transplants have been performed for over two decades, yet it is fairly infrequent. This is chiefly due to the stringent criteria which patients have to meet prior to be taken into consideration for the method.

Majority of the individuals having acute meniscal problems could additionally develop knee arthritis. In case there is extensive wearing out of articular cartilage then a meniscal transplant would not be of any help.

Criteria for meniscal transplant comprise of:

• People below fifty-five years of age and are physically active.
• Those people among who over half of the meniscus is absent due to past surgical procedure or harm or a tear in the meniscus which is irreparable.
• Unrelenting activity-associated pains.
• Knee normally aligned and having stable ligaments.
• Absence of or negligible knee arthritis.
• No obesity issues.

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