Abstract
The aim of this study was to clinically assess the outcome of arthroscopically assisted inside to outside meniscal repair. Seventy-five meniscal repairs were carried out, the average age was twenty-six year eight months. Average follow up was six years four months, fourteen patients (18.6%) were lost to follow up. The overall success rate was 89.5%, with 78.1% scoring clinically good or excellent on the Lysholm Score. Improved results were shown for patients over thirty years, those with ACL laxity and with longer tears. Delay in repair did not make a difference. Clinically lateral repairs did better. With an overall success rate of 89.5% the authors would recommend this traditional technique.
The purpose of this study was to clinically assess the mid to long-term outcome of arthroscopically assisted inside to outside meniscal repair.
Patients were followed up retrospectively by a combination of clinical review, mail and telephone questionnaires. The Lysholm knee (LS) and the Tegner activity (TA) scores were recorded.
From July 1991 until February 1999 seventy-five meniscal repairs were carried out in seventy patients by a single surgeon (PJR). The average age of the patients was twenty-six year eight months, there were fifty-two male and eighteen female patients. Fourteen patients (18.6%) were lost to formal follow up. Of the seventyfive repairs carried out full data, Lysholm Score (LS) and Tegner Activity (TA) scores were available on fifty-five repairs for analysis. The average follow up was six years four months (range three years four months to ten years nine months), Average scores were LS=87.1, TA before surgery=6.1, TA after surgery=5.5. 9 patients had menisectomy following re-tear due to further injury.
The overall success rate was 89.5%, with 78.1% scoring clinically good or excellent on the Lysholm Score.
In contrast to previous studies improved results were shown for patients over thirty years, those with ACL laxity and those with longer tears. The time interval to repair following injury did not make a difference. In agreement with previous studies, clinically lateral repairs did better.
With an overall success rate of 89.5% the authors would recommend this traditional technique in light of the more recent techniques presently in use.
Correspondence should be addressed to Cynthia Vezina, Communications Manager, COA, 4150-360 Ste. Catherine St. West, Westmount, QC H3Z 2Y5, Canada
