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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