Purpose
Our purpose was to determine the results of meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT)
in high school and higher-level athletes, specifically with respect to return to their
preinjury level of play.
Methods
This is a retrospective case series of prospectively collected data from a single
surgeon, evaluating athletes who underwent MAT. Each patient participated in either
high school, collegiate, or professional athletics before injury, with a mean preinjury
Tegner score of 8. In addition, patients were only included if one of their stated
preoperative goals was to return to their previous level of activity. Patients completed
preoperative and postoperative validated knee surveys (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis
Outcome Score, International Knee Documentation Committee score, Lysholm score, and
Tegner score) and underwent physical examinations.
Results
The mean age of the 13 included patients was 19.8 years, with a mean follow-up of
3.3 years (range, 1.9 to 5.7 years). After MAT, 10 of 13 patients (77%) returned to
sporting activity. The mean Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for the sport
subset was 76 (SD, 18), the mean International Knee Documentation Committee score
was 77 (SD, 14), and the mean Lysholm score was 81 (SD, 13). Of the 13 patients, 3
(23%) required further surgery, comprising one revision MAT, one partial meniscectomy,
and one meniscal repair.
Conclusions
In this small retrospective series, 77% of high school and higher-level athletes with
meniscal deficiency and symptomatic “post-meniscectomy syndrome” returned to their
desired level of play after MAT. These athletes also had significant improvements
in most outcome measures.
Level of Evidence
Level IV, therapeutic case series.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to ArthroscopyAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Review of meniscal injury and associated sports.Am J Sports Med. 1985; 13: 1-4
- The effect of medial meniscectomy and meniscal allograft transplantation on knee and anterior cruciate ligament biomechanics.Arthroscopy. 2010; 26: 192-201
- In-vitro measurement of static pressure distribution in synovial joints—Part I: Tibial surface of the knee.J Biomech Eng. 1983; 105: 216-225
- The role of the menisci in force transmission across the knee.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1975; : 184-192
- Meniscal allograft transplantation.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006; 14: 164-174
- The indications and technique for meniscal transplant.Orthop Clin North Am. 2005; 36: 469-484
- Allograft meniscal transplantation: Background, techniques, and results.Instr Course Lect. 2003; 52: 383-396
- Meniscal allografts—Where do we stand?.Am J Sports Med. 2001; 29: 246-261
- Meniscal allograft transplantation.Clin Sports Med. 2009; 28 (viii): 259-283
- Long-term follow-up of meniscectomy in athletes. A prospective longitudinal study.J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1987; 69: 80-83
- Effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and meniscectomy on length of career in National Football League athletes: A case control study.Am J Sports Med. 2009; 37: 2102-2107
- Treatment of meniscal injuries in young athletes.J Knee Surg. 2011; 24: 93-100
- Long-term outcome after arthroscopic meniscal repair versus arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic meniscal tears.Am J Sports Med. 2010; 38: 1542-1548
- Meniscal allograft transplantation.Arthroscopy. 2011; 27: 101-112
- Twenty-six years of meniscal allograft transplantation: Is it still experimental? A meta-analysis of 44 trials.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011; 19: 147-157
- Bone bridge in slot technique for meniscal transplantation.Oper Tech Sports Med. 2003; 11: 144-155
- Bone plug technique for meniscal transplantation.Oper Tech Sports Med. 2003; 11: 161-169
- Radiographic sizing for meniscal transplantation.Arthroscopy. 1995; 11: 684-687
- Meniscal allograft size can be predicted by height, weight, and gender.Arthroscopy. 2009; 25: 722-727
- Radiological assessment of osteo-arthrosis.Ann Rheum Dis. 1957; 16: 494-502
- The etiology of chondromalacia patellae.J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1961; 43: 752-757
- Homologous meniscus transplantation. Experimental and clinical results.Int Orthop. 1989; 13: 1-11
- Long-term clinical outcome of open meniscal allograft transplantation.Am J Sports Med. 2009; 37: 2134-2139
- Meniscal allograft transplantation without bone blocks: A 5- to 8-year follow-up of 33 patients.Arthroscopy. 2010; 26: 1633-1640
- A prospective outcomes study of meniscal allograft transplantation.Am J Sports Med. 2010; 38: 1804-1812
- Prospective evaluation of concurrent meniscus transplantation and articular cartilage repair: Minimum 2-year follow-up.Am J Sports Med. 2008; 36: 1770-1778
- Prospective evaluation of allograft meniscus transplantation: A minimum 2-year follow-up.Am J Sports Med. 2006; 34: 919-927
- Meniscal transplantation in symptomatic patients less than fifty years old.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2004; 86: 1392-1404
- Long-term survival of concurrent meniscus allograft transplantation and repair of the articular cartilage: A prospective two- to 12-year follow-up report.J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2010; 92: 941-948
- Twenty-year results of combined meniscal allograft transplantation, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and advancement of the medial collateral ligament.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2007; 15: 1072-1082
- Histological analysis of human meniscal allografts. A preliminary report.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000; 82: 1071-1082
- Triad of cartilage restoration for unicompartmental arthritis treatment in young patients: Meniscus allograft transplantation, cartilage repair and osteotomy.J Knee Surg. 2009; 22: 137-141
- Meniscal transplantation and degenerative articular change: An experimental study in the rabbit.Arthroscopy. 1997; 13: 485-491
- Immediate versus delayed meniscal allograft transplantation in sheep.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2003; : 218-227
- The protective effects of meniscal transplantation on cartilage. An experimental study in sheep.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000; 82: 80-88
- Meniscal substitutes—Human experience.Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1999; 9: 146-157
- Meniscal allograft transplantation. Two- to eight-year results.Am J Sports Med. 2001; 29: 410-414
- Human meniscal transplantation. Preliminary results at 2- to 5-year follow-up.J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1995; 77: 589-595
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 31, 2013
Accepted:
October 23,
2012
Received:
April 5,
2012
Footnotes
The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest in the authorship and publication of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
