progressive, degenerative arthritis of the knee joint. Replacing the badly damaged or deficient meniscus with a meniscus transplant from a human donor restores normal knee structure and helps protect the remaining joint surfaces. Meniscal transplantation is relatively uncommon, although it is gaining popularity. Meniscal transplantation was previously indicated for patients with mild arthritis who are younger than 50 years of age. The population for whom meniscal transplantation is appropriate has expanded. Survival data from a recent, long-term follow-up study shows that meniscal transplantation is also successful in older, arthritic patients with a success rate of 89.4% (42 of 47 transplants) at an average of 4.4 years. Meniscal transplantation offers patients with badly damaged cartilage an alternative to total joint replacement, and allows patients to pursue active lifestyles including impact sports. See also Knee cartilage replacement therapy Cartilage References “Meniscal Transplants.” The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org. March 2003. Sapega, Alexander. “Meniscus Repair vs. Removal.” The Knee and Shoulder Centers of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Pinkowski, John. “Meniscal Transplantation – A good choice for relieving pain and restoring mobility.” Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Outlook :Quarterly. Fall Quarter 2004. Stone KR, Walgenbach AW, Turek TJ, Freyer A, Hill MD. “Meniscus allograft survival in patients with moderate to severe unicompartmental arthritis: a 2- to 7-year follow-up.” Arthroscopy. 2006 May;22(5):469-78. Orthopedic surgical procedures