Synthetic Substitutes for Meniscal Injuries

Meniscal injuries are frequent and their surgical treatment accounts for some of the most commonly performed procedures in orthopedic surgery. Positive results in primary repair and partial meniscectomy have been reported in multiple studies; however, a subset of patients who develop meniscal insufficiency symptoms are at risk for degenerative consequences and create a treatment challenge for long-term knee health. Restoration of meniscal function using scaffolds has shown promising results with short-, mid-, and long-term benefits reported in the literature. Regenerative medicine using degradable scaffolds augments the treatment spectrum within a meniscus-preservation algorithm allowing surgeons to address symptomatic mid-substance meniscus insufficiency while potentially preventing or delaying the need for future joint replacement.