Arthroscopic meniscal repair and needle aspiration for meniscal tear with meniscal cyst

Treatment of patients with meniscal cysts of the meniscus usually requires surgery. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy of the involved torn meniscus with intra-articular cyst drainage has become the accepted intervention. However, if the meniscal tear is peripheral, a lot of healthy meniscal tissue is needlessly sacrificed with subtotal meniscectomy. Moreover, the meniscal cyst is not a true cyst, so it may be treated more conservatively after the underlying disease has been corrected. We report a case of a meniscal cyst arising from the anterior segment of the lateral torn meniscus that was arthroscopically repaired with an outside-in technique. With the use of a 19-gauge long needle to penetrate the peripheral rim inframeniscally, a nonabsorbable No. 3-0 nylon suture was passed into the joint and brought out suprameniscally to loop the meniscal fragment. The second suture was passed and was used to secure the meniscal rim and fragment by the same means approximately 8 to 10 mm from the first one. Then the cyst was aspirated. A good result was obtained, and no recurrence of the cyst or mechanical problems occurred after a follow-up of 14 months.