[Development of replacement meniscus of autogenous tissue]

At present no established therapy for the complete loss of meniscus is available. An attempt is made to create a transplant out of autogeneic tissue resembling the meniscus in its morphological and functional aspects. The middle third of the patellar tendon with proximal and distal bone blocks serves as a basis and is coated with a fascia lata strip. After temporary subcutaneous transfer, the meniscus substitute is intended for later transplantation. The theoretical ideas for the imitation of a meniscus in view of fibre architecture and biomechanical validity were tested in 14 sheep. In principal this model succeeds in imitating the fibre architecture of the menisci. After a conditioning period of 8-10 weeks in the subcutaneous tissue, the neomeniscus seems to be suitable for transplantation. The tensile strength of the grafts decreases slightly but the bone blocks stay viable.