Aspetar, the orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, has conducted the first Meniscal Allograft Transplantation (MAT) on two athletes from Qatar, Gulf Times has learnt.
“This is a first for Aspetar and two more athletes will undergo this surgery very soon,” revealed Dr Philippe Landreau, the chief of 
surgery at Aspetar. 
The surgical procedure was performed on athletes from Qatar, with the assistance of one of Aspetar’s visiting surgeons, Prof Peter Verdonk from Belgium. 
“The surgery consists of replacing a torn or damaged meniscus, with a new one from a donor. Meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous structure that cushions the joint surface of the knee,” he explained.
The official pointed out that the MAT is a very sensitive operation, where a healthy cartilage tissue is taken from a donor. “This allograft should be matched by size to the candidate for the procedure, as appropriate graft sizing is critical. We procured fresh-frozen meniscal allografts from a Tissue Bank.”
“One graft is fairly expensive, it costs about QR21,000. It is the same concept as organ donation. Shortly after receiving the allografts, we performed the transplantation and it was a complete success. Both athletes are in the recovery process which takes at least one year,” noted Dr Landreau.
Aspetar’s chief of surgery clarified that the allograft transplantation is the last option that surgeons would resort to in case of any meniscus tear or damage. “When a meniscus tear is so severe that nearly all the cartilage is torn and badly damaged post repetitive injuries, it can no longer be repaired and needs to be removed. Sometimes we have no choice but to perform a MAT, especially when a meniscal repair or a meniscectomy are not a viable option anymore.” 
“Most people with severe meniscal problems have also developed arthritis in the knee. The donor transplant will stabilise the knee joint, and relieve the pain. In long-term, we anticipate that it will delay the development of arthritis,” added the official.