ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 2013;19:124–8 | Number 2, April 2013
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Early results of all-inside meniscal repairs using a pre-loaded suture anchor
August WM Fok, WP Yau
Division of Sports and Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
 
 
OBJECTIVES. To report the clinical and radiological results of all-inside meniscal repairs using a pre-loaded suture anchor.
 
DESIGN. Case series.
 
SETTING. Regional hospital, Hong Kong.
 
PATIENTS. From January 2008 to June 2010, 51 patients with a mean age of 26 (range, 15-48) years with 57 meniscal tears underwent meniscal repair utilising the all-inside meniscal repair technique entailing a pre-loaded suture anchor. All tears were located at red-red or red-white zones. Concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed in 37 (73%) of the patients. Patients were evaluated postoperatively based on the International Knee Documentation Committee score, clinical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging. Presence of locking, joint-line tenderness, effusion, and positive McMurray test were considered to indicate clinical failure.
 
RESULTS. The mean follow-up was 19 (range, 12-39) months. An average of 2 (range, 1 to 4) suture devices was used per patient. The mean tear size was 20 (range, 10-40) mm. In all, 10 (18%) of the tears had failed clinically and 11 (19%) appeared unhealed on postoperative imaging. The mean International Knee Documentation Committee score improved significantly from 62 preoperatively to 81 postoperatively (P<0.001). Patients with concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction had better corresponding scores postoperatively than preoperatively (mean, 83 vs 65, P<0.001). The clinical and radiological outcome was not related to the chronicity, location or length of the tear, or patient age. No postoperative extra- or intra-articular complications were encountered.
 
CONCLUSION. All-inside meniscal repair using a pre-loaded suture anchor is safe and effective, and yielded an 83% clinical and 81% radiological success rate.
 
Key words: Arthroscopy; Knee injuries; Menisci, tibial; Rupture; Sutures
 
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