ABSTRACT
The increasing awareness of the consequences of meniscectomy has led to a more conservative approach in the treatment of meniscal lesions. Total meniscectomy should be considered only in the relatively rare instances in which the extent of meniscal damage is so great that partial meniscectomy or meniscal repair is not appropriate. Rodents like rat and mice are not suitable for meniscal repair and replacement because of their size and because of the fact that centers of ossification (ossicles) are found in their menisci. The dog has been used for basic research for studying repair methods for implantation of a meniscal prosthesis and for meniscal transplantation. A Teflon net prosthesis in the dog provided one of the first encouraging results in using an artificial meniscus. A collagen-based scaffold has been reported to give an excellent meniscal replica in swine and canine. Autograft tissue is harvested elsewhere in the body and is used for a meniscal substitute.
