title: Meniscal regeneration or meniscal transplantation?
abstract: Owing to the initial necrosis to which any freely transplanted biological graft is subjected, meniscus transplantation is based on similar principles to meniscal regeneration. Both methods rely on repopulation of extrinsic cells of the graft. In the former procedure a biological matrix (meniscus, tendon, fatpad) is used as graft (scaffold), whereas in meniscal regeneration commercially available resorbable or non-resorbable scaffolds are implanted. However, the cellular (re)population and (re)vitalization process is deleterious rather than beneficial for the function of the graft as the remodelling of the tissue leads to shrinkage and narrowing of the implant. In addition, improper fixation and subsequent elongation of the anterior and posterior bony attachments leads to peripheral graft dislocation, loss of the load distribution function, and subsequently to cartilage degeneration. Hence, meniscus transplantation or regeneration faces two major problems: 1) remodelling of graft to inferior tissue properties after allograft transplantation, or lacking establishment of normal tissue properties after use of biological matrixes other than the meniscus (fatpad, tendon), or commercially available matrixes; 2) improper fixation with elongation of the anterior and posterior attachments. Furthermore, use of allografts incorporates the risk for disease transmission. Today we are unable to control these problems, and therefore the concept of meniscal replacement does not work yet. Further research is necessary to control remodelling and improve fixation to make this procedure a successful one in the future.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messner
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012038:Regeneration; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome