Resumen de Microanatomical study of replaced meniscus in the rabbit.
A. Lesic, V. Tatic, B. Bumbasirevic, S. Malobabic
We investigated clinical and morphological characteristics of replaced menisci after the transplantation of deep frozen meniscal allografts. We replaced medial menisci (in 18 New Zealand white rabbits) by meniscal grafts obtained fro m other rabbits. These grafts were kept in a deep f reezer (3-5 weeks), thawed in sterile saline and transplanted. The menisci were removed and studied after 2 weeks (first group), 8 weeks (second group) and after 36 weeks (third gro u p ) . Menisci from non-operated, contralateral knees served as controls. The tissue of the menisci investigated was processed using several histological and histochemical methods and analyzed by light microscope. Transplanted meniscal allografts retained a normal gross appearance, healed f i rmly through fibrovascular tissue to the re c i p i e n t capsular tissue, and did not show macro s c o p i c pathological changes. At the histological evaluation, in the first group the collagen fibers were i r regularly oriented, with a low cellular population. In the second group, blood vessels were p resent, cellular repopulation and immature collagen fibers being observed. The third group had a more mature collagen tissue, with a significant cell repopulation. Deep-frozen meniscal allografts showed significant collagen remodeling with cellular and vascular ingrowth from the surro u n d i n g synovia. This suggests that used allografts function normally and protect underlying cartilage.
