A study of the biological behavior of the meniscus as a transplant in the medial compartment of a dog's knee.

A surgical procedure was developed such that a meniscus could be reimplanted in the medial compartment of canine knees. The medial meniscus was removed and reimplanted in one group of seven animals, removed and reimplanted with a glutaraldehyde-preserved bioprosthesis in a second group of five animals, and removed and replaced by an allograft meniscus preserved 2 to 3 weeks in tissue culture in a final group of ten animals. All animals were autopsied at 2 months and the knees were examined by gross dissection and histologic study of the joint capsule meniscal interface. Results showed that implantation by the surgical technique was effective and no loose bodies or partial detachments were found in the reimplantation or tissue culture-stored allogenic menisci. Allogenic menisci preserved in glutaraldehyde and termed a bioprosthesis attached to the joint capsule less satisfactorily. There was minimal inflammation of the synovium in any group at 2 months; however, the glutaraldehyde group showed repeated effusions at 1 and 2 weeks.