The Healing of Semilunar Cartilages

Meniscus repair and regeneration: review on current methods and research potential

“…Once described as "functionless remnants of leg muscle origin" (Bland Sutton, 1897), the menisci are now considered crucial structures for knee stability, shock absorption, and nutrient distribution to the articular cartilage (Ahmed and Burke, 1983;King, 1936;Krause et al, 1976;Levy et al, 1989;Seedhom and Hargreaves, 1979). However, their location and the extreme forces that the menisci can be subjected to make them frequently susceptible to injury, especially in contact-sport activities but also in sedentary young or elderly patients.…”

“…Together, the two menisci cover about twothirds of the tibial plateau. The menisci are held in position through the attachments to the joint capsule and ligaments surrounding the knee (Bland-Sutton, 1897;King, 1936;Setton et al, 1999;Renstrom and Johnson, 1990). These attachments maintain correct positioning of the meniscus during radial and anteroposterior displacement of the knee and provide crucial blood supply to the peripheral regions of the meniscus.…”

“…Under normal physiologic loading, the meniscus experiences large tensile and shear stresses as well as compressive stress. Under loaded conditions the meniscus is not only subjected to a vertical force to the inner portions, but there is also a radially directed force applied to the concave surface pushing the meniscus outward (King, 1936, Shrive et al, 1978. These high mechanical requirements make the meniscus a crucial player in knee homeostasis and represent the rationale for a regenerative approach to meniscal lesions.…”

Cell-based Meniscal Tissue Engineering: A Case for Synoviocytes

“…It is now accepted that preservation of functional meniscal tissue is critical to maintaining normal knee function, yet current treatment strategies are fairly limited and largely based on the extent and location of the injury within the meniscus. One of the most important advancements in knowledge of the healing potential of the meniscus was the elucidation of the tissue's vascular supply by King [49]. This work suggested meniscal tears would not heal unless they communicated with the blood supply, which arises from the perimeniscal capillary plexus and is restricted to the periphery of the tissue [49].…”

“…One of the most important advancements in knowledge of the healing potential of the meniscus was the elucidation of the tissue's vascular supply by King [49]. This work suggested meniscal tears would not heal unless they communicated with the blood supply, which arises from the perimeniscal capillary plexus and is restricted to the periphery of the tissue [49]. Further defining the healing potential of different types and locations of meniscal pathology, however, was largely ignored because of the perceived questionable importance of the tissue to the knee.…”