The circumferential compression stitch for meniscus repair

Over the past 30 years, many patients have benefited from arthroscopically assisted meniscus repair surgery and its ability to preserve a healthy knee. Although techniques have evolved, the basic premise of central-to-peripheral needle penetration across the tear with fixation into the capsular region immediately peripheral to the meniscus has remained. Suture repair techniques that involve encircling the tear have been discussed but have remained largely impractical because of the anatomic constraints of the arthroscopic knee. A suture-passing technology designed to function within these constraints was recently made available from Ceterix Orthopaedics (Menlo Park, CA). It allows surgeons to arthroscopically place circumferential sutures around meniscus tears to provide uniform, anatomic compression of the tear edges through an all-inside technique. This stitch is likely to improve healing rates and safety, as well as to enable repair of tears that were previously considered difficult or impossible to sew. The purposes of this note and accompanying video are to show the feasibility of placing all-inside circumferential compression stitches to treat tears of the knee meniscus and to discuss the potential benefits of such techniques.