Augmentation of meniscal repairs with cyanoacrylate glue

Cyanoacrylate glues are biodegradable, bacteriostatic, hemostatic adhesives which have been used experimentally in surgical procedures on many tissues. This study evaluates the efficacy of cyanoacrylate glues used for in vitro bovine meniscus repair. Our hypothesis was that a local adhesive might improve fixation of meniscus tears reapproximated with suture, or obviate the need for suture. Three high-viscosity flexible cyanoacrylate glues were tested and their tensile strengths compared to those of suture alone and suture augmented with glue. The flexible formulation enables the glue to deform with the meniscus during movement of the knee joint. Bovine meniscus tissue was used as the model to compare the tensile strength at the meniscus repair site using the 300 cps glue in combination with 3-0 prolene suture, 300 cps cyanoacrylate glue alone, and suture alone. Twenty specimens were included in each repair group, and the peak load to failure was normalized for surface area and subjected to analysis of variance. Results of the analysis showed that the peak load to failure of the combination of cyanoacrylate glue plus suture was significantly higher than that of glue alone (P < .0001), but not significantly higher than that of suture alone (P = .18). However, in tissues repaired with suture, tissue separation at the tear site was noted almost immediately after distraction started, as a result of the elasticity of the suture. The combination of cyanoacrylate glue plus suture provided the maximum tensile strength before tissue separation. Because tissue separation may interfere with the meniscal healing process, glue used in combination with suture appears to offer some advantage mechanically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)