Indications for Surgery The meniscus is an important structure that helps to distribute forces evenly across the knee joint. The loss of functioning meniscus is associated with increased loading of the cartilage in and can lead to the early development of arthritis of the knee joint (wearing out of the cartilage surfaces on the end of the bones). Thus, the goal of meniscal transplant surgery is to eliminate the pain symptoms in your knee by replacing the damaged, non-functioning meniscus with a “new” allograft meniscus. Removing the remaining old meniscus and replacing it with a new, functioning meniscus can prevent progression of the arthritis and deterioration of the knee joint. Meniscal transplant surgery is indicated for people who have lost meniscus from previous injuries or meniscectomies and have severe pain and symptoms from the loss of meniscus. Additionally, an osteotomy (re-aligning of the bones of the knee, for better weight distribution throughout the joint) may be recommended for certain patients.
Because there is not a good artificial replacement for meniscal tissue, the new meniscus must come from a donor that has passed away. The new transplant meniscus allograft must also be of a similar size and shape to the native meniscus. This means planning this surgery can sometimes be difficult and can require time to find a match.