title: Allograft replacement for absent native tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Structural instability due to poor soft tissue quality often requires augmentation. Allografts are important biological substitutes that are used for the symptomatic patient in the reconstruction of deficient ligaments, tendons, menisci, and osteochondral defects. Interest in the clinical application of allografts has arisen from the demand to obtain stable anatomy with restoration of function and protection against additional injury, particularly for high-demand patients who participate in sports. Traditionally, allografts were employed to reinforce weakened tissue. However, they can also be employed to substitute deficient or functionally absent tissue, particularly in the sports medicine setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article presents a series of 6 cases that utilized allografts to restore functionally deficient anatomic architecture, rather than just simply augmenting the degenerated or damaged native tissue. Detailed discussions are presented of the use of allografts as a successful treatment strategy to replace functionally weakened tissue, often after failed primary repairs.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Salma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wanivenhaus
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Alice J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Russell F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rodeo
keywords: allograft; instability; ligament; reconstruction; tendon