Prognostic factors for all-inside meniscal repair. A 87-case series

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Meniscal tears often require surgical repair, with all-inside techniques commonly employed.
• Existing literature indicates a notable failure rate for all-inside meniscal repair procedures.
• Identifying prognostic factors for repair failure is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate epidemiological, clinical, and surgical factors influencing the success of all-inside meniscal repair.
• To determine specific prognostic indicators associated with all-inside meniscal repair failure.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study analyzed 87 all-inside arthroscopic meniscal repairs using the FasT-Fix® system.
• Data collected included patient demographics, lesion characteristics, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes (IKDC score).
• Failure was defined as the need for secondary meniscectomy, with a mean follow-up of 31 months.

Main Results:

• The study observed a 15% failure rate (13 out of 87 repairs) at a mean follow-up of 31 months.
• Bucket-handle meniscal lesions were significantly associated with a higher risk of repair failure (P=0.006).
• A body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 was also identified as a significant negative prognostic factor (P=0.014).

Conclusions:

• The observed failure rate aligns with existing literature on all-inside meniscal repair.
• The extent of the meniscal lesion, particularly bucket-handle tears, directly correlates with increased failure risk.
• Elevated BMI imposes mechanical stress, contributing to a higher likelihood of meniscal repair failure.