Sports Medicine Center
Cartilage and Meniscus Transplant Program
Injury to the meniscus, the crescent-shaped cartilage that cushions the bones of the knees, is common during athletic activities and can lead to chronic pain.
In the past, treatment involved the complete removal of the meniscus, which sometimes leads to early onset arthritis. Today, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin offer high-tech but minimally invasive treatment options. Collagen meniscus implants replace missing tissue and encourage the body to produce new meniscus cells and tissue. Donated meniscus cartilage is also being used to replace cartilage that had been removed in a previous surgery.
If the meniscus has been removed, the patient is left without much of the joint cushion. Initially, this tends not to be a problem. But over time, patients often develop pain where the meniscus was removed, and they can go on to develop accelerated arthritis in that part of the knee joint. In the last decade, meniscus transplantation has become a reasonable treatment option to be considered for some patients with specific types of knee pain.
Last Review Date: July 5, 2011 Online Editor(s): Kathryn Adam |