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Outcome of meniscal repairs in paediatric population: A tertiary centre experience
Ayman Gabr1, Samson Williams2, Sophie Dodd2
1Department of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Suffolk Hospital, Suffolk IP33 2QZ, United Kingdom. aymangabr@hotmail.co.uk.
Insights
Meniscal repair in children and adolescents shows a 16.6% re-operation rate but yields good functional outcomes, preserving meniscus tissue. This study highlights arthroscopic meniscal repair as effective for pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Meniscal sparing surgery aims to prevent osteoarthritis progression.
- Limited data exists on meniscal repair outcomes in skeletally immature patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate re-operation rates and functional outcomes of arthroscopic meniscal repairs in pediatric and adolescent patients.
- Assess the effectiveness of meniscal repair in young individuals.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 66 arthroscopic meniscal repairs in 59 patients under 18 years old (2007-2018).
- Procedures performed by a single surgeon using FasT-Fix implants.
- Primary outcome: re-operation rate. Secondary outcomes: complications, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, and Lysholm scores.
Main Results:
- The re-operation rate was 16.6% (11 cases), with 2 further repairs and 9 partial meniscectomies.
- Mean postoperative scores: IKDC 88, Tegner 7, Lysholm 94.
- No intra-operative complications were reported.
Conclusions:
- Arthroscopic meniscal repair is an effective treatment for pediatric meniscal tears.
- The procedure demonstrates a low failure rate and good functional outcomes.
- Meniscal tissue preservation is a key advantage in pediatric patients.
Background:
Meniscal sparing surgery is a widely utilised treatment option for unstable meniscal tears with the aim of minimising the risk of progression towards osteoarthritis. However, there is limited data in the literature on meniscal repair outcomes in skeletally immature patients.
Aim:
To evaluate the re-operation rate and functional outcomes of meniscal repairs in children and adolescents.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent arthroscopic meniscal repair surgery between January 2007 and January 2018. All patients were under the age of 18 at the time of surgery. Procedures were all performed by a single surgeon. Information was gathered from our hospital Electronic Patient Records system. The primary outcome measure was re-operation rate (need for further surgery on the same meniscus). Secondary outcome measures were surgical complications and patient reported outcome measures that were International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner and Lysholm scores.
Results:
We identified 59 patients who underwent 66 All-inside meniscal repairs (32 medial meniscus and 34 Lateral meniscus). Meniscal repairs were performed utilizing FasT-Fix (Smith and Nephew) implants. There were 37 males and 22 females with an average age of 14 years (range 6-16). The average follow-up time was 53 months (range 26-140). Six patients had concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery along with the meniscal repair. There were no intra-operative complications. The re-operation rate for meniscal repairs was 16.6% (11 cases) with 2 patients requiring further meniscal repairs and 9 patients underwent partial meniscectomies. The mean postoperative IKDC score was 88 (44-100), Tegner score was 7(2-10) and Lysholm score was 94 (57-100).
Conclusion:
Our results showed that arthroscopic repair of meniscal tears in the paediatric population is an effective treatment option that has a low failure rate and good postoperative clinical with the advantage of preserving meniscal tissues.
