Meniscal Lesions: Biologics

The role of orthobiologics injections for the management of meniscal lesions has gained growing interest, thanks to their minimal invasiveness, the possibility to combine them with other treatments, and the not always satisfactory results of other available treatments. Corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid (HA), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) represent interesting treatment options with specific rationale and different indications based on the type of meniscal tears and joint status. Currently, corticosteroids and HA injections find their main application as intra-articular injection in osteoarthritic knees with degenerative meniscal lesions, although results are still controversial. On the other hand, PRP presents a wider spectrum of actions than other biologic substances, including anabolic/regenerative properties, and showed a potential role also in the ultrasound-guided treatment of degenerative meniscal lesion, as well as to improve the success rate of meniscal repair procedures. However, literature findings are still preliminary and inconclusive, and biologic injective meniscus treatments require further higher-level studies to better understand their real efficacy and more appropriate indications for the management of meniscal lesions.