The Meniscus Deficient Knee: Options for Repair and Reconstruction

The preservation of the structure of the meniscus despite a tear has been widely discussed in the literature. However, meniscectomy continues to be the most-performed meniscus surgery. In a percentage of patients, knee pain and swelling, as well as tibial plateau bony edema, follow meniscus resection; this panoply of symptoms is known as “post-meniscectomy syndrome”. The management of this condition requires meniscus transplant in case of total meniscectomy or a meniscus scaffold in the case of a partial resection. This chapter aims to discuss the indication, surgical technique, and outcomes of collagen meniscus implants (CMI) for partial resections and meniscus transplants for full resections.

MENISCUS TRANSPLANT: IS STILL A STEP FORWARD FOR GOOD RESULTS IN CARTILAGE LESION PROGRESSION AND KNEE PAIN?

Meniscus injuries are the most common traumatic conditions of the knee. If until the early 2000s, menisci were considered structures of no major importance in the knee joint, subsequent studies have shown their importance in the biomechanics of the knee. Their role is not only for the natural suspension of the joint, but also for the protection of the cartilage or the achievement of the efficient and uniform circulation of the synovial fluid. Therefore, disruption of this joint balance can lead, in the absence of a well-conducted treatment, to premature knee wear. Most of the time, these meniscal tears are accompanied by associated lessions, ligaments or more severely cartilaginous lessions, creating a real challenge for the physician, specially for young pacients. There are many conservative treatments of the damaged meniscus, imagined precisely in the idea of preserving the menisci as much as possible. However, this is not always possible, especially due to the type of traumatic injury.

High Tibial Osteotomy following Biologic Replacement of the Knee

Biologic unicondylar replacement with fresh osteoarticular allografts of the femoral condyle and tibial plateau plus a meniscus transplant provides an option for young or active patients with severe articular cartilage loss. The timing of osteotomy procedures to correct malalignment either before, concurrent, or after allograft implantation has become an area of research interest. Concurrent osteotomies and allograft transplantation have become increasingly popular due to the decreased patient morbidity from multiple surgeries that require a period of toe-touch weight bearing (TTWB) postoperatively. We discuss here our techniques for correcting malalignment, which concurrently repair major bipolar knee lesions while transplanting the meniscus. We prefer to perform a simultaneous biologic unicondylar replacement with an osteotomy, if needed. Weight bearing alignment radiographs should be obtained 6 weeks following surgery to confirm the intraoperative findings that were obtained using fluoroscopy and the alignment rod. If malalignment persists and the biologic grafts are overloaded, a staged osteotomy should be performed as soon as possible.

Rehabilitation Following Medial Meniscal Transplant: A Case Study

This paper describes the rehabilitation of a patient following a medial meniscus transplant. Both preoperative and postoperative history and relevant physical findings are presented. Rehabilitation goals and the corresponding treatment plan are discussed, with an emphasis on functional outcomes. A general framework for treatment addressing impairment and functional goals is outlined. Progression of the rehabilitation program was based on surgical precautions and the patient's tolerance to the exercise progression. This case study demonstrates that appropriate surgical intervention combined with a properly designed rehabilitation program contributed to the improved functional abilities of this patient.