Polyurethane scaffold implants for partial meniscus lesions: delayed intervention leads to an inferior outcome

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes of the implantation of an aliphatic polyurethane scaffold for the treatment of partial loss of meniscal tissue at a mean follow-up of 36 months. Methods A retrospective review on prospectively collected data was performed on patients who underwent implantation of an aliphatic polyurethane-based synthetic meniscal scaffold. Patients were evaluated for demographics data, lesion and implant characteristics (sizing, type and number of meniscal sutures), previous and combined surgeries and complications. Clinical parameters were rated using NRS, IKDC subjective, Lysholm, KOOS, and Tegner activity score, both preoperatively and at final follow-up. Results Sixty-seven patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 36 months (48 M and 19 F; mean age 40.8 +/- 10.6 years; mean BMI 25.4 +/- 4.3). The scaffold was implanted on the medial side in 54 cases, and on the lateral one in 13. Forty-seven patients had undergone previous surgical treatment at the same knee and 45 required combined surgical procedures. All evaluated scores improved significantly from the baseline. Among possible prognostic factors, a delayed scaffold implantation had lower post-operative clinical scores: IKDC subjective (P = 0.049), KOOS Sport (P = 0.044), KOOS total (p = 0.011), and Tegner (P = 0.03) scores at follow-up. Conclusions The polyurethane meniscal scaffold implantation led to a significant clinical benefit in a large number of patients. A delayed intervention correlated with worse results.