title: Meniscus transplantation: preoperative planning.
abstract: Precise preoperative planning is mandatory to obtain good results of meniscus transplantation. Any pathology in addition to the missing meniscus should be detected, including malalignment, and ligament instability. A full status of the changes in the cartilage should be made. It is unknown how precisely the donor meniscus needs to fit the size of the original meniscus to allow healing and regeneration. The effect of incongruency and wrong insertion of the meniscal horns has been investigated in an animal experiment. The incongruous grafts did not entirely avoid chondromalacia after meniscectomy, but provided some chondroprotective effect. A wrong bony insertion of the meniscal horns leads to even more serious chondral damage than meniscectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Physical Medicine, University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verdonk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kohn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001182:Arthroscopy; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000637:transplantation*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012756:Sheep