The "butterfly" suture technique for meniscal repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering
• Sports medicine

Background:

• Meniscal healing is significantly influenced by the primary fixation strength achieved during surgical repair.
• Selecting repair techniques that maximize initial stability is essential for successful meniscal regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel "butterfly" suture technique for meniscal repair using the Viper device.
• To compare the primary fixation strength of the "butterfly" technique against conventional vertical loop sutures.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized 14 calf knees with induced longitudinal medial meniscus tears.
• Menisci were divided into two groups: Group 1 (vertical loop sutures) and Group 2 ("butterfly" sutures), both using the Viper device.
• Load to failure testing was performed to quantify fixation strength.

Main Results:

• The "butterfly" suture technique (Group 2) demonstrated a significantly higher mean load to failure (186 ± 15.8 N) compared to vertical loop sutures (Group 1: 156.3 ± 13.1 N).
• The p-value of 0.002 indicates a statistically significant difference in fixation strength between the two techniques.

Conclusions:

• The all-inside "butterfly" suturing technique, when employed with the Viper device, provides superior primary fixation strength for meniscal repairs.
• This technique holds promise for improving the outcomes of meniscal repair surgery, particularly for tears in suitable locations.