Biomechanical Study of Meniscal Repair Using Horizontal Sutures and Vertical Loop Techniques

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomechanical engineering
• Sports medicine

Background:

• The meniscus is crucial for knee joint stability, weight-bearing, and shock absorption.
• Meniscus tears require surgical intervention, with repair techniques significantly impacting patient outcomes.
• Evaluating novel meniscus repair methods is essential for improving treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the tensile strength and gap stability of submeniscal horizontal sutures versus single vertical loop techniques for meniscus repair.

Main Methods:

• An experimental study utilized 12 ruptured bull medial meniscuses, divided into two groups for testing.
• Submeniscal horizontal and single vertical loop suturing techniques were assessed for knot resistance and repaired gap stability under tensile load.

Main Results:

• Knot resistance was comparable between submeniscal horizontal (104.3 ± 12.5 N) and vertical loop (110.7 ± 16.4 N) techniques.
• The vertical loop technique demonstrated significantly greater gap stability (124.6 ± 11.7 N) compared to submeniscal horizontal sutures (95.4 ± 8.7 N) (P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

• Knot resistance is similar for both meniscus repair techniques.
• The vertical loop technique provides superior gap stability in meniscus repair.
• Vertical loop suturing enhances joint stability against tensile forces more effectively.