Meniscus transplantation

摘要

During the 50 years that I have been performing knee surgery, great changes in opinions have taken place. When I was a resident/registrar in the 1950s, I was taught to remove every bit of the meniscus in cases of meniscus lesions. If a small remnant of the meniscus was left, it would regrow and cause a lot of new problems. This was the time when Smillie in Scotland performed thousands of total meniscectomies. This was also the time when a British professional football player was worth more money if his menisci had already been removed.Today we know what an important role the menisci play for shock absorption, load distribution, lubrication and stability of the knee joint. We know that total meniscectomies lead to osteoarthritis within 10-15 years. We also know that we should repair or try to" maintain as much meniscus tissue as possible in cases of meniscus ruptures.