Science Codex—December 10, 2014
Columbia University Medical Center researchers have devised a way to replace the knee's protective lining, called the meniscus, using a personalized 3D-printed implant, or scaffold, infused with human growth factors that prompt the body to regenerate the lining on its own. The therapy, successfully tested in sheep, could provide the first effective and long-lasting repair of damaged menisci, which occur in millions of Americans each year and can lead to debilitating arthritis. The paper was published today in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine.
A damaged meniscus can be replaced with a meniscal transplant, using tissue from other parts of the body or from cadavers. That procedure, however, has a low success rate and carries significant risks. Approximately one million meniscus surgeries are performed in the United States each year.
"This research, although preliminary, demonstrates the potential for an innovative approach to meniscus regeneration," said co-author Scott Rodeo, MD, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon and researcher at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "This would potentially be applicable to the many patients who undergo meniscus removal each year."
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