M Mesiha, D Zurakowski, J Soriano, J Nielson, B Zarins and M Murray
Acellular meniscus tissue is at high risk of degeneration and retear after repair. The aim of this study was to identify the cellularity of meniscal cells, the rationale being that if damaged menisci with few viable cells could be identified prior to surgery the patient could be treated as high risk for complications and their rehabilitation could be adjusted accordingly. This was a controlled laboratory study and damaged meniscal tissue was used from 44 patients. Ten control menicsi were also examined. The results showed that patients over 40 years of age had lower cellurarity in the damaged menisci than patients under 40 years of age. The authors concluded that in the light of their decreased cellularity, menisci from older patients may be vulnerable to degeneration and retear after repair.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 35, 2007, 103-112