ABSTRACT
I. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 565
II. Anatomy and Composition ............................................................................................ 566
III. Function .......................................................................................................................... 567
IV. Meniscal Cells ................................................................................................................ 569
V. Cell Sources for Tissue Engineering ............................................................................. 569
VI. Scaffolds ......................................................................................................................... 570
A. Synthetic Polymers ................................................................................................ 571
B. Biological Scaffolds ............................................................................................... 572
C. Hydrogel Scaffolds ................................................................................................. 575
D. Inert Nonresorbable Materials ............................................................................... 577
VII. Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 578
References ................................................................................................................................... 578
Once described as “functionless remnants of leg muscle origin,”
the menisci in the knee are now
regarded as important structures for knee stability, shock absorption, and load distribution.
