In Vitro Meniscus Integration Potential is Inversely Correlated With Tissue Maturation State Available to Purchase

Meniscal surgeries are amongst the most common procedures performed in orthopedics today. Clinical solutions are few and have limited success, and so partial meniscectomy is a common outcome. While tears are common in older patients, few young patients present with meniscus damage. It is unclear whether juvenile menisci are less susceptible to damage or more given to endogenous repair. Early in development, the menisci are well vascularized throughout their radial expanse, while in adults, vascularity is restricted to the peripheral rim of the tissue, near the synovial margin [1]. Tears in this vascular region often do heal in adults, while those in the avascular inner regions of the tissue do not [2]. This has led to the inference that vascularity is essential for meniscus healing and this manner of thinking has directed numerous repair strategies toward that end [3].