Meniscal Allograft Transplant—Should We Perform in the Aging Athlete?

Abstract

Athletes are at higher risk of knee injuries than the general population especially those in pivoting sports. Meniscal injuries account for a substantial amount of these knee injuries. Although meniscal repair is the gold standard treatment for symptomatic tears in young patients some individuals are still treated by meniscectomy. Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) can be considered as a salvage procedure in patients with ‘post meniscectomy syndrome’. Appropriate patient selection is critical to ensure successful outcomes following MAT. A meniscal deficient knee in an aging athlete wishing to continue with their preinjury level of sport is commonly encountered by clinicians. We promote utilizing an individualized approach to each patient, rather than treating a patient based on their chronological age assessment of the condition of chondral surfaces of their knee, lower limb alignment and stability are more important.