Comparison of the bone plug and bone bridge technique for lateral meniscus allograft transplantation

Background: Studies have reported that for the meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT), the Bone Bridge method (Bone Bridge) and the Bone Plug method (Bone Plug) show better clinical improvements than simple soft tissue suture after meniscectomy in the knee. However, there are rare studies comparing the long-term postoperative outcomes between the Bone Plug and the Bone Bridge which are used for lateral MAT. Objective: This study aims to compare the long-term clinical outcomes of Bone Plug and Bone Bridge in lateral MAT. Methods: From January 2010 to July 2013, 30 postoperative lateral MAT patients were enrolled to check the follow-up outcomes. Among the 30 cases, 18 cases were Bone Plug; 12 cases were Bone Bridge. We use three methods to compare the long-term clinical outcomes, which are visual analog scale (VAS), Lysholm knee evaluation scale and Tegner activity scale. All patients underwent MRI examination in the final follow-up to observe the morphology and signal changes in the meniscus after MAT. Results: All of the 30 patients were followed up for 24.3 +/- 1.8 months (range, 21-27 months) after MAT. After 2 years, no patient was found to have meniscal mechanical symptoms, effusion, lateral joint line tenderness or a positive McMurray test. Their results in VAS, Lysholm knee evaluation scale and Tegner activity scale significantly improved after MAT for 2 years (P<0.05). MRI showed that the allograft menisci have satisfactory condition within 2 year post-operation period. There was no significant difference in the postoperative long-term outcomes between Bone Plug and Bone Bridge (P>0.05) in lateral MAT. Conclusion: Clinical results of both MAT methods were satisfactory. But there was no significant difference in the postoperative long-term outcome between Bone Plug and Bone Bridge in lateral MAT. They also have an advantage for patients who undergo lateral meniscus allograft transplantation.