1. Anatomy and Function: The meniscus is a fibrocartilage cushion that acts as a shock absorber in the knee joint. There is one meniscus on each side of the joint…medial and lateral. Each meniscus is flat and C shaped, partially enclosing the surface on the tibia to deepen it and thereby add stability to the knee. The surface area for contact between the femur and the tibia is greatly increased by each meniscus. This protects the articular cartilage covering on the bones by keeping the contact pressure to a minimum.


 

2. Injury: A torn meniscus can occur from a single injury or from years of wear and tear. The typical injury is when the knee is twisted or angulated under load. If the meniscus is already weak from aging, simple squats can cause a tear. Once torn, the function of that part of the meniscus is lost, and pain and swelling ensues.



3. Treatment: Simply stated, there is only one way to treat a torn meniscus… surgery. Fortunately, we now have arthroscopic technology available which allows us to perform the operation through two tiny punctures. One portal is used for a small telescope (arthroscope), the other is used for tiny instruments. The tear in the meniscus usually produces an unstable flap of tissue which must be removed. Some tears, particularly in young patients, can be repaired, thereby saving this vital tissue and preserving it’s function. The surgery lasts from 30-60 minutes and is performed as an outpatient procedure. Rehabilitation begins almost immediately and a full recovery occurs at about four weeks.



If more than half the meniscus is removed, its function is lost…and articular cartilage degeneration will occur in that part of the knee. This may begin to cause pain within two to five years. MENISCUS TRANSPLANTATION is a procedure where a meniscus from a human tissue bank is surgically placed into a knee that is undergoing this degeneration. This is a fairly new operation with about ten years of follow-up. The patient experiences relief of pain and increases his/her activity in over 855 of the cases studied. It is our hope that this procedure will delay or prevent the onset of articular cartilage degeneration and destruction of the joint.

 


 


 

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Video

Dr Yacobucci has had special training in meniscus transplantation surgery and has performed over 100 of these operations. He is currently participating in clinical research to evaluate the long term results of this procedure.

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