Long-term outcome after meniscal repair.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Knee Biomechanics

Background:

• Meniscal tears are common knee injuries.
• Meniscal repair aims to preserve joint function and prevent osteoarthritis.
• Factors influencing meniscal repair success require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinical and radiological outcomes of meniscal repairs.
• To identify factors correlating with successful meniscal repair.
• To compare outcomes of different meniscal repair techniques.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 119 meniscal repairs with an average 70-month follow-up.
• Critical assessment of radiographic changes and clinical outcomes for successful vs. failed repairs.
• Comparison of meniscal repair success rates based on timing, technique, and associated injuries.

Main Results:

• Overall meniscal repair success rate was 74%.
• Repairs performed within 6 weeks of injury showed higher success (83%) than later repairs (52%).
• Inside-out technique with #0 PDS suture yielded the best results (80%).
• Associated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction at the time of repair significantly improved success rates.
• Failed meniscal repairs correlated with increased radiographic osteoarthritic changes (81%) compared to successful repairs (14%).

Conclusions:

• Meniscal repair is clinically and radiologically important.
• Younger age, earlier repair, and the inside-out technique are associated with successful outcomes.
• Concurrent ACL reconstruction enhances meniscal repair success.