ABSTRACT
Meniscus injury is common in today's active society. Despite the frequent presentation
of meniscus injury, the decision to repair or resect a torn meniscus is not always
straightforward. Current repair techniques are effective in the peripheral vascularized
meniscus, but their success is not dependable in the avascularized zone. Tissue engineering,
a discipline that combines the technologies of cell culture and biodegradable scaffolds
to deliver a cellular repair, may be one future answer to this problem. The concept
of using cell-based repair for torn menisci could improve healing of lesions in the
avascular zone and broadly expand the indication for repair rather than removal, obviating
the need for meniscectomy. This article reviews current advances in the relatively
new field of tissue-engineering toward the development of a tissue-engineered meniscal
repair technique.
