Meniscus Allograft Transplantation

Meniscus allograft transplantation (MAT) has emerged over the previous 25 years to become an acceptable treatment for total meniscectomy. MATs heal peripherally and most are put in with bone anchors. Several tissue banks provide MATs either fresh, frozen or cryopreserved. Despite recent advances in testing, there still remains a risk of infectious disease transmission. Followup studies out to 10 years have shown that pain relief is a constant finding and that survival rates are in the range of 70 to 80%. Long-term results will insure the question as to whether or not MATs will prevent the development of degenerative arthritis commonly seen after a total meniscectomy.