I tore my meniscus and had to have it removed. I still have a lot of knee pain. Are there any other surgical options for me?
Possibly. Surgeons are exploring ways to replace the meniscus after it has been removed. One way is to take the meniscus from a cadaver knee (an "allograft") to replace the patient's meniscus. This is a new procedure, but so far the results are promising. An average of five years after meniscal transplant, patients in a recent study had better physical and social functioning--and less pain.
Unfortunately, the chances of retearing the transplanted meniscus are as high as 36 percent. In the case of a retear, another surgery may be needed. Yet even those requiring another surgery to fix torn transplants tend to report improvement. Talk with your doctor to see whether this procedure is an option for you.
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