Patent ID: 8016884

Claim:
A prosthetic device for replacing a damaged meniscus, the prosthetic device comprising: a central portion having a concave upper surface for engagement with a portion of a femur and an opposing partially concave lower surface for engagement with a portion of a tibia, the central portion comprising a flexible resilient polymeric material having a modulus of elasticity between about 1 MPa and about 10 MPa, wherein the central portion has a minimum thickness less than about 3 mm between the upper surface and the lower surface; an outer portion surrounding the central portion and having an increased thickness relative to the central portion, the outer portion comprising the resilient polymeric material and tensioned with at least one reinforcing fiber embedded within the resilient polymeric material; wherein the outer portion is sized and shaped such that a compression force imparted on the prosthetic device by the femur and the tibia displaces the outer portion radially outward from the central portion; wherein the outer portion is further sized and shaped such that the prosthetic device is configured for implantation within a knee joint between the femur and the tibia without being rigidly fixed to either of the femur and the tibia and the outer portion prevents unwanted expulsion of the prosthetic device from the knee joint when the prosthetic device is implanted within the knee joint without being rigidly fixed to either of the femur and the tibia.