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Arthroscopic meniscal repair evaluated by second-look arthroscopy
C D Morgan1, E M Wojtys, C D Casscells
1Delaware Orthopedics Center, Wilmington.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|November 1, 1991
Summary
Successful arthroscopic meniscus repair using the "outside to inside" technique shows high healing rates. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency significantly impacts repair success, particularly for posterior medial meniscus tears.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Knee Arthroscopy
Background:
- Meniscal tears are common knee injuries often treated with arthroscopic repair.
- The "outside to inside" suturing technique is a common method for peripheral meniscal repair.
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency may influence meniscal healing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the healing rates of arthroscopic peripheral meniscal repairs using the "outside to inside" technique.
- To correlate repair outcomes with clinical symptoms and ACL status.
- To identify factors associated with meniscal repair failure.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 74 arthroscopic peripheral meniscal repairs (50 medial, 24 lateral) using the "outside to inside" technique.
- Second-look arthroscopy was used to assess healing.
- Outcomes were graded as healed, incompletely healed, or failed and correlated with clinical symptoms and ACL deficiency.
Main Results:
- Overall asymptomatic healing rate was 84% (65% healed, 19% incompletely healed).
- The overall failure rate was 16%, with all failures being symptomatic.
- Repair failure was strongly associated with ACL deficiency and posterior medial meniscus tears.
Conclusions:
- Arthroscopic peripheral meniscal repair with the "outside to inside" technique demonstrates a high success rate.
- ACL deficiency is a significant risk factor for meniscal repair failure.
- Tear location, specifically posterior medial meniscus, is also associated with higher failure rates.