Do meniscal allograft transplants really work?
Does anyone here actually have one? My surgeon says that they do not work. He said that so far there has been no proof that they reduce the risk of arthritis. I am a heavy-set, 28 year old female skier with 1/2 my medial meniscus missing in my left knee (along with 3 ACL reconstructions on the same knee). I will say that I am a fan of the good old single-bundle reconstruction. Less holes and screws mean less errors. I blew my ACL's out due to be a little too heavy and skiing like a bat out of hell (moguls, jumping and racing). And yes I do use a brace.
I am having my ACL done on my right knee on May 28 and I also have a large osteochondral defect in my knee. My doc says that microfracture is all he can do. However, I hear some people have osteochondral allografts. I trust him and I can have more surgeries later on if need be. My doc just is not a firm believer in allograft tissue other than using it ocassionally for ACL grafts (I had an allograft patellar tendon for my last ACL). Just wondering what other docs have said about meniscal and osteochondral allografts.
Thanks,