Evaluation of small-intestinal submucosa implants for repair of meniscal defects in dogs.

Objective—To assess the effects of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) implants on the healing of meniscal lesions in dogs. Animals—16 adult Greyhounds of both sexes. Procedure—Unilateral osteotomy was performed at time 0 to disrupt the medial collateral ligament attachment, and two (1 cranial and 1 caudal) 4-mm circular defects were created in the avascular portion of the medial meniscus. One defect was filled with an SIS graft, and the other defect remained empty (control). Three months later, the identical procedure was performed on the contralateral limb. Three months after the second surgery, dogs were euthanatized, and meniscal tissue specimens from both stifle joints were collected for gross, histologic, biomechanical, and biochemical evaluations. Results—Regenerative tissue was evident in 4 (2 SIS-implanted and 2 control) of 16 defects examined histologically. In 3 defects, this thin bridge of tissue was composed of immature haphazardly arranged fibrous connective tissue with a relatively uni...