Future directions. Collagen-based prostheses for meniscal regeneration.

Abstract

Prosthetic meniscal replacement offers the ability to stabilize the meniscectomized knee and provide prophylaxis against early degenerative arthritis. Since prosthetic meniscal replacement may be performed in the setting of normal articular cartilage, a prosthesis will be required to match the exact joint configuration, induce the same lubricity, produce the same coefficient of friction, and absorb and dampen the same joint forces (without incurring significant creep or abrasion) as does the normal meniscus. This feat is currently beyond the capabilities of artificial materials alone. Alternatively, collagen-based prostheses acting as resorbable regeneration templates offer the possibility of inducing regrowth of new menisci. This paper presents a summary of hypotheses, considerations, and laboratory evidence for the use of collagen-based, resorbable matrices as regeneration templates.