Experimental Study Of Meniscal Repair In Avascular Zone With A Tendon Allograft In Rabbits

[Objective] Usually the injury of the vascular part of knee meniscus was adapted to suture. The treatment of avascular part injuries still stayed in study. Researchers used the tendon to rebuild the lost of menisci and outcome showed that the tendon tissue could transform to the meniscus tissue, such as the cell morphous, constitution and function. The objective in this study include: to suture the meniscal injury in avascular zone with the tendon allograft of rabbits and to study the outcome and analyze the healing mechanism. Methods In 20 six-month female rabbits ,divided into four groups, we performed medial meniscal injuries suture. In group A(control) the injuries were sutured with the non-absorbed thread. In the other three groups were sutured with the allografted tendon from the extensor digitorum tendon. The animals were killed at 4 (group B), 8 (group C), 12 (group D) weeks and the menisci examined macroscopically, by light and scanding elctron microscopy, and biomechanically. Result Healing of menisci occurred at 8 week but the failure stress and tensile modules for the menisci were lower than for the normal menisci. Conclusion Our evidence suggests that, in rabbit, the way is feasible, which the avacular parts injuriesof menisci are sutured with the allografted tendon from the extensordigitorum tendon.