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Biodegradable polyurethane meniscal scaffold for isolated partial lesions or as combined procedure for knees with multiple comorbidities: clinical results at 2 years

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of this novel polyurethane meniscal scaffold to treat partial meniscal loss.

Methods

Eighteen patients (11 men and 7 women, mean age: 45 years) affected by irreparable acute meniscal tears requiring partial meniscectomy or chronic prior loss of meniscal tissue were enrolled in the study. They underwent arthroscopic polyurethane meniscal scaffold implantation (13 medial and 5 lateral) and, in case of presence of other comorbidities, concurrent procedures were also performed. Patients were prospectively evaluated up to 2 years of follow-up through IKDC objective, IKDC subjective, and Tegner scores. Furthermore, MRI evaluation of the meniscal scaffold was performed.

Results

No major adverse events were observed. A statistically significant increase in all the clinical parameters considered was found. The IKDC objective score increased from 61 % of normal or nearly normal knees at basal evaluation to 94 % at 2 years of follow-up (p = 0.01). There was also a significant increase in the IKDC subjective score both at 6–12 months of follow-up (p = 0.03 and p < 0.005), which was confirmed at 24 months. The Tegner score also showed a significant increase from the pre-operative level (median value 2, range 1–5) to final evaluation (median value 3, range 2–5; p = 0.005), albeit not reaching the pre-injury sports activity level.

Conclusions

The implantation of this novel polyurethane scaffold proved to be a safe and potentially effective procedure to treat partial meniscal loss with encouraging results at short-term follow-up. Further high-quality studies with larger numbers of patients and longer evaluation times are needed to confirm these preliminary data.

Level of evidence

Case series, Level IV.

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Acknowledgments

All the authors would like to thank Federica Balboni, Giulio Altadonna, Francesco Perdisa, Letizia Merli, Keith Smith, and Elettra Pignotti, all from the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute (Bologna, Italy) for their contribution in realizing this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nano-Biotechnology Laboratory, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano n. 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy

    Elizaveta Kon & Giuseppe Filardo

  2. Biomechanics Laboratory and III Orthopaedic Clinic, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano n. 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy

    Stefano Zaffagnini, Alessandro Di Martino, Berardo Di Matteo, Giulio Maria Marcheggiani Muccioli & Maurilio Marcacci

  3. Department of Radiology, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano n. 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy

    Maurizio Busacca

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  1. Elizaveta Kon
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  2. Giuseppe Filardo
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  3. Stefano Zaffagnini
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  4. Alessandro Di Martino
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Correspondence to Elizaveta Kon.

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Kon, E., Filardo, G., Zaffagnini, S. et al. Biodegradable polyurethane meniscal scaffold for isolated partial lesions or as combined procedure for knees with multiple comorbidities: clinical results at 2 years. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 22, 128–134 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2328-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2328-4

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