The meniscus cartilage is the fibrous shock absorber that protects the knee. It is frequently torn and when removed leads to knee joint arthritis. If a patient's meniscus is torn beyond repair, or missing altogether, it can be replaced with an allograft meniscus.

While conventional wisdom states that artificial joint replacement is the only treatment for missing cartilage in arthritic knees, our recent study from the Stone Research Foundation has proven that end-stage arthritis patients benefit from meniscus transplants for pain relief and mobility.

• Two- to seven-year data demonstrates successful outcomes in 89.4% of patients with moderate to severe arthritis with improvements in pain and activity levels.
  
  
• The meniscus replacement is part of our biologic knee replacement program and has excellent survival data despite the severity of the arthritis.
  
  
• The surgical technique is an outpatient arthroscopic technique; however, the procedure is relatively difficult and not widely performed.
  
  
• The rehabilitation after surgery is specific and generally returns people to active sports levels after four months.
  
  
• Impact sports are permitted with Biologic Joint Replacement tissues.

Meniscus replacement, when combined with articular cartilage paste grafting or ligament reconstruction, is called a Biologic Joint Replacement and may delay the time when an artificial joint replacement is necessary. This is the area of the most intense research at the Stone Research Foundation.

Meniscus Allograft Survival: Meniscus Allograft Survival in Patients with Moderate to Severe Unicompartmental Arthritis: A 2- to 7-Year Follow-up. Stone KR, Walgenbach AW, Turek TJ, Freyer A, Hill M. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 22, No 5 (May), 2006: pp 469-478.

Surgical Technique: Meniscal Allografting: The Three-Tunnel Technique. Stone KR, Walgenbach AW. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, April 2003.

Click here to read more about meniscus transplantation rehabilitation.

Click here to listen to Dr. Stone’s podcast on the knee joint meniscus.