Modern possibilities of diagnosis and treatment of knee meniscus tears

The menisci are described as one of the most crucial structures of the knee. At the same time they are frequently injured structures. Due to the vital functions of the meniscus and possibility of early onset osteoarthritis in the absence of the meniscus, orthopedic surgeons have shifted their management goals from resection to preservation, repair, and reconstruction of the meniscus. Various techniques of meniscal regeneration based on tissue engineering have been of high interest in the current research with promising therapeutic results.The purpose of the study: This review aims to discuss the current understanding of the meniscus, its role in biomechanics of the knee joint, and the current methods used to diagnose and manage meniscal tears.Materials and methods: In this study domestic and foreign publications over the past 5 years were reviewed. The search for publications was carried out in the following databases: elibrary.ru, PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE and Cochrane library. The search included original preclinical in vivo studies related to tissue engineering of the knee joint menisci.Conclusions:Currently commercially available single-component scaffolds have shown good short-term results, the possibility of neo-meniscal tissue regeneration in place of lysed implant. Research performed on potential combination of cells, signal molecules and 3D printed scaffold with aim to enhance meniscal regeneration looks promising, and regenerative medicine appears to be the way forward. Further studies on scaffold manufacturing and modifying technologies are needed to achieve complete regeneration and restoration of all meniscus functions.