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Meniscal screw fixation provides sufficient stability to prevent tears from gapping
Lutz Dürselen1, Alexander Hebisch, Daniel Wagner
1Institute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstrasse 14, 89081 Ulm, Germany. lutz.duerselen@uni-ulm.de
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|October 10, 2006
Summary
Meniscal repair using low-force implants like the ClearFix Screw effectively reduced tear gapping in simulated knee loading. This suggests that low-pull-out-force implants are biomechanically suitable for meniscal repair during rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic biomechanics
- Sports medicine
- Biomaterials engineering
Background:
- Meniscal tears are common knee injuries.
- Current meniscal fixation implants often exhibit low pull-out forces.
- The in vivo forces these implants resist are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the biomechanical efficacy of a low-pull-out-force meniscal screw (ClearFix Screw) in reducing meniscal tear gapping.
- To test the hypothesis that meniscal repair with this device significantly reduces tear gapping.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal meniscal tears were created in porcine knees.
- A custom setup allowed for simulated joint loading and motion analysis.
- Tear gapping was measured before and after fixation with ClearFix Screws.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in meniscal tear gapping was observed after fixation with the ClearFix Screw across all tested load conditions.
- Maximum gapping occurred under combined axial load and rotational/valgus moments.
Conclusions:
- Meniscal fixation with the ClearFix Screw effectively prevents gapping in longitudinal meniscal tears.
- Low-pull-out-force implants may be biomechanically adequate for meniscal repair in typical rehabilitation scenarios.
- This study provides biomechanical evidence supporting the use of certain low-strength fixation devices.