Certain meniscal tears are repairable with sutures, predominantly those that are freshly torn and involve healthy tissue. The closer tear is to the peripheral blood supply the higher the likelihood of successful repair. Patients with unrepairable meniscal injuries usually have symptoms of pain, catching, swelling or locking in the knee. The surgeon may perform a partial or complete meniscectomy to alleviate the symptoms in the short-term. The more meniscal tissue removed, the higher the likelihood of subsequently developing arthritis. Recognizing the biomechanical importance of the menisci, surgeons in the late 1980s proposed meniscus transplantation and meniscus reconstruction as two new surgical options for the patient with a meniscus deficient knee.