ABSTRACT
Restoring the normal congruency between femur and tibia with intact menisci could be a solution to many mechanical knee problems. Good functional results have been achieved with the transplantation of menisci in compartmental meniscal degeneration, However, this type of chonrotection can only be evaluated after 10 to 20 years of follow-up. Satisfactory incorporation of meniscal transplants has been obtained with fresh allografts, but availability remains a problem with this method of meniscal substitution. Incorporation and ingrowth of fibroblasts have been shown in cryopreserved and deep-frozen meniscal allografts. In a small number of transplants shrinking has been observed on repeat arthroscopy. Since 1989, viable meniscal allograftng has been performed in a series of more than 200 patients. The value of this method has been studied. With the use of a semisynthetic medium the semilunar cartilages can be kept viable without apparent loss of fibrochondroblast cell activity. During this incubation period the appropriate recipient can be ed and prepared. There is sufficient time to conduct a laboratory screening and to evaluate the culture results and desease transmission factors. In this way, live transplant hazards can be avoided, resulting in a higher success rate. The knee is a weight-bearing joint. The patient himself is responsable for mechanical loading, and medical control of these conditions is not always possible. The intensity of loading thus remains an aspect that cannot always be determined scientifically and must be considered in pathology. In view of the promising of the promising results obtained with tendon allografts and with meniscal allografts in sheep(1), meniscus transplantation in humans has become an attractive treatment option. Meniscus transplantation involves the necessity to store and preserve meniscal material.
O restabelecimento da normalidade congruência entre o fêmur e a tíbia com meniscos intactos poderia ser uma solução para muitos problemas mecânicos do joelho. Bons resultados funcionais foram obtidos com o transplante de meniscos nas degenerações compartimentais pós-meniscectomia, no entanto, este tipo de conroteção só poderá ser avaliada após 10 a 20 anos de seguimento...