Meniscus repair in knee ligament injuries

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Knee Ligament Injuries

Background:

• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears of the knee frequently occur with associated injuries.
• Cruciate ligament injuries and medial meniscus damage are common comorbidities in MCL tears.
• Surgical management of combined knee ligament and meniscus injuries requires careful consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the functional outcomes of surgically treated medial collateral ligament tears of the knee.
• To assess the impact of associated medial meniscus injuries and their surgical management (suture vs. meniscectomy) on knee function.
• To determine the long-term results of meniscus repair in patients with MCL tears.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 115 primarily operated patients with medial collateral ligament tears.
• Analysis of associated injuries, including cruciate ligaments and medial meniscus.
• Surgical intervention involved MCL repair, with medial meniscus treated by suture or meniscectomy.
• Functional outcomes assessed using the Lysholm knee score at a mean follow-up of 4 years.

Main Results:

• 86% of patients achieved excellent or good functional outcomes (Lysholm score).
• Meniscal injuries were present in 59 knees; 53 underwent meniscus suture, 6 had meniscectomy.
• Outcomes were comparable between patients with meniscus suture and those without meniscal injury.
• No patients required secondary meniscectomy during the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Surgical repair of medial collateral ligament tears, even with associated medial meniscus injuries treated by suture, leads to favorable long-term functional results.
• Medial meniscus suture is an effective treatment option in conjunction with MCL repair, yielding outcomes similar to knees without meniscal pathology.
• Conservative management of the meniscus via suture, when indicated, is preferred over meniscectomy in this patient cohort, avoiding the need for reoperation.