MENISCAL REPAIR USING A FLAP OF SYNOVIUM

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE DOG

Abstract

A longitudinal incision was made in the avascular portion of the medial menisci of 23 dogs. In one knee a flap of synovium was sutured into the wound, and in the other, the wound was sutured as a control.
In the group of menisci in which a synovial pedicle flap was used, 21 out of 23 healed, and the longitudinal lesion was repaired with fibrovascular tissue at 6 weeks. In the controls, no healing occurred.
The healing of meniscal lesion occurred with the vascularized synovial pedicle flap and the neovascularization from the parameniscal area.
The maximum tensile strength of a 1 mm wide flap of meniscus using a synovial pedicle flap at 6 weeks was 250g (Crosshead speed : 0.1mm/sec).