Meniscus is a form of fibrocartilaginous tissue in the knee joint that acts as a cushion between the shinbone and thighbone. It serves to increase the contact surfaces, thereby reducing the stress in the knee joint. It also provides stability by resisting translational forces in the knee. In degenerative joint disease, there is breakdown of the collagen fibers in the menisci. As the calcified menisci become less resistant to shear stress, they develop degenerative tears and lose their chondroprotective functions.
Surgeries:
- Arthroscopic meniscal repair
- Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy
- Arthroscopic meniscal transplant
References:
- Tan, Ashton & Chua, Shaun & Yeo, Ellis & Bin Abd Razak, Hamid Rahmatullah. (2022). Two- To 14-Year Outcomes of Combined Meniscal Allograft Transplantation With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery. 39. DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2022.10.042.
- Teo, Shao & Tan, Marcus Wei Ping & Koh, Don & Lee, Kong Hwee. (2022). Medial Meniscal Allograft Transplantation With Bone Plugs Using a 3-Tunnel Technique. Arthroscopy Techniques. 11. DOI: 10.1016/j.eats.2021.10.009.