Clinical And Experimental Research Of Meniscus Repair And Allograft Transplantation For Meniscus Injury

Clinical and experimental research of meniscus repair and allograft transplantation for meniscus injuryObjective To provide the theory basis for the technique allograft meniscal transplantation by way of the outcome evaluation and experimental study of allograft meniscal transplantation and To discuss the clinical problems of meniscal transplantation based on clinical practical results including the harvest and preserved methods of meniscal allograft, operative procedure, rehabilitation plan and side-effect, combining the recent publishes, so as to provide reference for further clinical practice and research. Methods 24 rabbits were in the experiment with their left posterior extremities as Group A and right ones as Group B. The procedures of allograft meniscal transplantation were performed for Group A and controlled surgeries for Group B without meniscal transplantation. Each 6 rabbits were killed for pathological observation of double extremities at week 6, month 3 after the operation. The rabbits were observed the situation of vessels and cartilage cells proliferation in the grafted meniscus. In clinical practice, the meniscal allograft transplantation were perfumed with arthroscopic technique on 2 patients, younger than 50 years, suffering from severe meniscus tear or defect at the time of other procedures, such as reconstruction of ligament. The initial clinical results about relieving of symptoms, recovery of functions were investigated after short time rehabilitations. Results In the experimental study, the normal shapes of grafted meniscus were found in all of the experimental animals of Group A and the excellent healing appeared between the meniscus and the capsules. There was not any side-injury occurring. In the clinical practice, the incisions healed well without exudation. The knee joint swelling disappeared in 6 weeks. Rejection reaction was not observed in all of laboratory tests. The VAS were 8, 6 preoperatively and 3, 2 postoperatively. The processes of rehabilitation were normal. Conclusion The normal shapes of meniscus could be kept and the excellent healing could be observed after meniscal allograft transplantation. Considering the difficult in maintaining severe tear meniscus and the characteristics of immune evasion of meniscus, meniscal allograft transplantation may be expectable option in the future. Very many researches have provided theoretical base. But the results of long-time following-up need be observed and very clinical problems need be further solved, such as preservative method of allograft, technique of surgery and rehabilitation program.