For the first time in the U.S., surgeons at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have implanted a plastic device designed to help patients with persistent knee pain due to injured or deteriorating meniscus cartilage. The meniscus is a fibrocartilage pad located between the thigh and shin bones, and once it’s damaged has a very limited healing potential.
“There aren’t many options for these patients, unfortunately. Once the meniscus is damaged, pain often sets in and can lead to arthritis and the need for knee replacement surgery,” says Christopher Kaeding, MD, the surgeon who implanted the device and executive director of OSU Sports Medicine (pictured above). “If this meniscal implant works as well as we think it will, it fills a gap in our treatment for those with meniscus injuries.”
