Clinical results of arthroscopic meniscal repair using biodegradable screws

This study was performed to assess the clinical results of meniscus refixation using biodegradable Clearfix meniscal screws. Between July 1999 and June 2001 this technique was performed on 65 patients, of whom 60 (27 women, 33 men; 92%) were followed up by clinical examination after an average of 18 months (range 8-34). The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 30 years (15-58). Two patients had already undergone a partial meniscectomy at the time of follow up; three patients had had a recurrence of typical clinical signs of a meniscal tear. The other 55 patients rated the overall clinical result as "excellent" (n=21), "good" (n=31) or "satisfactory" (n=3). The average Lysholm score [20] at the time of examination was 93 (49-100) points. The Tegner-Lysholm activity grade [29] preinjury was 5.6 (3-9), compared to a grade of 5.1 (3-9) at the follow-up examination. As a result of our study, biodegradable screws can be recommended as fixation devices with a high rate of good and excellent clinical results.