If you are suffering from a severe meniscus or cartilage injury, traditional treatments like medication, physical therapy, and surgery might not help. In such cases, meniscus and cartilage transplantation becomes an option.

What Is Meniscus Transplantation?

Meniscus transplantation is a procedure that replaces the damaged or missing meniscus with a healthy donor’s meniscal tissue.

This surgical technique is employed to repair an extensively damaged meniscus that cannot be brought back to its original state.

The Procedure for Meniscus Transplantation

The procedure involves the removal of the damaged meniscus through arthroscopy, then a fresh meniscus harvested from a donor body undergoes preparation; the surrounding tissue is trimmed and frozen to stabilize the meniscus.

Finally, the donor meniscus is surgically implanted into the recipient’s knee with stitches.

What Is Cartilage Transplantation?

Cartilage transplantation is a procedure that involves repairing cartilage damage using donor cartilage. The cartilage from a donor is grafted onto the damaged area within the joint to encourage healthy cartilage growth while increasing joint mobility.

10 Advanced Techniques for Meniscus and Cartilage Transplantation

1. Computer-Assisted Surgery

Computer-assisted technology is now available for meniscus and cartilage transplantation procedures. The technology enables surgeons to navigate detailed images, resulting in greater precision in identifying and treating damaged tissue.

2. Allograft Bone Dowels

Allograft bone dowels are used as additional support for the transplanted tissue to help ease the integration of the donor meniscus with the recipient’s tissues.

3. Collagen-Based Scaffolds

Collagen-based scaffolds help to hold the transplanted tissue together. The scaffold also encourages the growth of new tissue in the area to repair the damaged cartilage.

4. Chondrocyte Implantation

Chondrocyte implantation involves harvesting a patient’s tissue and expanding their chondrocytes, which are the cells that produce cartilage. Then, the chondrocytes are implanted into the damaged joint area to help regenerate cartilage.

5. Combined Meniscus and Cartilage Transplants

Combined meniscus and cartilage transplants are becoming increasingly popular as it ensures quicker recoveries and better results. This technique can be used to treat more severe injuries, especially for athletes and active individuals.

6. Biphasic Scaffolds

Biphasic scaffolds are scaffold implants that help to stabilize and immobilize the transplanted tissues. They also guide the new tissue in growing to take its designated shape, replacing the damaged or lost cartilage.

7. Joint Distraction

Joint distraction involves splitting apart the joint and holding it apart for a period to make new cartilage cells grow.

This technique helps to repair damaged cartilage by encouraging the body to produce new cartilage, resulting in natural improvement of the joint structure.

8. Osteochondral Auto Grafts

Osteochondral auto-grafts involve harvesting a cartilage-bone plug from one part of the knee joint and transplanting it into the damaged area.

This technique has proved to be successful and has shown remarkable results when used for small to medium-sized cartilage defects.

9. Mosaicplasty

Mosaicplasty is a technique where tiny cartilage plugs are taken from a non-load bearing portion of the knee and attached to the injured area to act as healthy blood flow and facilitate tissue growth.

10. Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy involves the use of undifferentiated stem cells to regenerate cartilage. Stem cells can transform into specialized cells like chondrocytes, which are responsible for producing cartilage.

This technique has shown promising results in small to medium-sized injuries.

Conclusion

Meniscus and cartilage transplantation procedures are advanced surgical techniques that can help people overcome severe meniscus and cartilage damages.

With the increasing success rate of these surgeries, it is essential to stay updated on the latest technologies and procedures being employed for these treatments to ensure a quick and healthy recovery.