Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair

Meniscal importance in knee functioning cannot be overestimated. Meniscal deficiency is now well documented to result in degenerative changes and osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Diagnosis of meniscal tears is based on history and clinical examination and more details can be obtained through MRI. Arthroscopic meniscal repair is suitable for selected tears and can be accomplished through a variety of inside-out, outside-in and/or all-inside techniques.Aim of the study: To clinically evaluate the results of arthroscopic meniscal repair as a treatment option for meniscal tears.Patients and methods: Thirty-one medial and 22 lateral menisci, of 30 male and 21 female patients with mean age of 24.6±5.7 years, were arthroscopically repaired in two Belgian university hospitals through varied techniques.Results: After a mean follow-up of 16.9±22.16months, the mean Lysholm score was 89.3±9.89 (range 52-100) and 98% of patients were normal or nearly normal according to IKDC knee examination grading. On a 1-10 satisfaction VAS, the mean score was 8.1± 1.57 and 86.3% of patients stated that they would undergo the same procedure again and that they recommend it for family and friends. The failure rate was 8% within 6 months and a total of 10 (20%) non-majorly complicated cases were encountered.Conclusion: Arthroscopic meniscal repair gives good subjective and objective results on short and medium-terms. Failure and complications rates are acceptable with a high ratio of satisfied patients. Knowing the sequels of meniscal deficiency, arthroscopic repair should be the treatment of choice for selected tears.