[Meniscus transplantation--animal experiment study]

Abstract

The possibility of repairing meniscus lesions by transplantation was studied in 30 sheep. Grafting of the meniscus was performed in 15 animals each either with lyophilised homologous menisci that had been sterilised by gamma rays, or with deep frozen homologous menisci. 27 menisci could be evaluated over a period of 48 weeks. Besides the clinical, microscopical and scanning electron microscopical evaluation, the grafts were also examined microangiographically and biomechanically. Both lyophilised and deep-freeze menisci are suitable for transplantation, but the processes of transformation of the grafts are significantly different: Whereas complete transformation takes place in the lyophilised transplant during the study period of 48 weeks, the deep-frozen transplant is accepted and heals without any remarkable transformation process to full function. Although the biomechanical stress tests yielded good stress tolerance for both types of transplants, the deep frozen homologous menisci appear to be more favourable with regard to possible clinical aspects since they do not undergo any transformation.