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Arthroscopic meniscus repair with bioabsorbable arrows
Timothy S Petsche1, Harlan Selesnick, Adam Rochman
1Fox Valley Orthopaedic Institute, Geneva, Illinois, USA.
Summary
Meniscal Arrow repair shows promising early results for knee meniscus tears, with significant improvements in patient function and no major complications. Further study is needed to confirm long-term efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Sports medicine
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Meniscal tears are common knee injuries.
- Surgical repair aims to restore knee function and prevent osteoarthritis.
- Meniscus Arrows offer a novel fixation device for meniscal repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Meniscus Arrows for meniscal repair.
- To report clinical outcomes from a single surgeon's experience.
Main Methods:
- A consecutive series of 30 patients undergoing meniscal repair with Meniscus Arrows.
- 29 patients with at least 12 months of follow-up were analyzed.
- Evaluated outcomes included Lysholm and Tegner scores, complications, and failure rates.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in Lysholm and Tegner scores across all patient groups (ACL reconstruction, ACL-intact, ACL-deficient).
- No surgical complications, infections, or neurovascular injuries were reported.
- A 7% failure rate (2 of 29 patients) requiring revision surgery was observed, with mild subcutaneous irritation in 5 patients.
Conclusions:
- Meniscus Arrow repair demonstrates encouraging short-term clinical results.
- The device appears safe and effective for meniscal repair, even in complex knee injuries.
- Further long-term follow-up is warranted to validate these preliminary findings.