Dovetail/Slot Meniscal Transplant Technique

The dovetail technique simplifies graft preparation with a time-saving series of cuts preparing the bone component of the graft to sit securely in the recipient semi-trapezoidal slot created in the tibia. A matching semi-trapezoidal shaped recipient slot created in the tibia with a series of step drills, rasps and dilators matches the bone block preparation.Subsequent peripheral graft fixation to the capsular rim with 2-0 FiberWire^® achieves the goal of creating a solid meniscal allograft construct. Preferably performed for lateral meniscal incompetence, the dovetail technique anatomically recreates the normal lateral meniscal relationships within the knee.