Microvasculature of the human meniscus

Arnoczky SP, Warren RF · The American Journal of Sports Medicine

A perimeniscal capillary plexus arising in the capsular and synovial tissues supplies only the peripheral 10-25% of the meniscus; the rest is avascular. The posterolateral segment of the lateral meniscus beside the popliteal tendon has neither penetrating vessels nor a synovial fringe, while both horn attachments are covered in vascular synovial tissue.

Population

Medial and lateral menisci from 20 human cadaver knees, studied by histology and Spalteholz tissue clearing

Intervention

Anatomical mapping of the meniscal blood supply

Limitations

Cadaver anatomy, not healing. It describes where blood reaches, which is the basis of the red-red, red-white and white-white zones used to decide whether a tear is repairable; it does not itself measure whether a tear in any zone heals. Full text was not retrievable.