Reparación meniscal: resultados en 234 pacientes con seguimiento mínimo de cuatro años

Abstract

Introduction: menisci play a crucial role in the proper biomechanics and adequate function of the knee. Traumatic and degenerative injuries have different origins, diagnostic algorithms, and treatments. In the past, meniscectomy was the treatment of choice. As we understood the importance of these anatomical structures, treatments shifted towards more reparative options, aiming to preserve the maximum amount of meniscal tissue, promoting its repair, and reducing the risk of early osteoarthritis.

Our objective is to present the results of meniscal repairs performed between 2012 and 2018, complemented by a review of the surgical techniques we have performed over the course of these years and the causes of failures in our patient series.

Materials and methods: we evaluated 234 meniscal repairs performed between 2012 and 2018. The average age was twenty-eight years. 72% were associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction. We included both isolated meniscal repairs and those associated with ACL reconstruction, performed in both genders, using inside-out, outside-in, and all-inside techniques, as well as the combination of these techniques. Patients with incomplete medical records, suture revisions performed by another surgical team, and lack of follow-up were excluded. Evaluation was based on physical examination, pain assessment using the visual analog scale (VAS), and functionality using the IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner scores.

Results: arthroscopic meniscal repair was associated with ACL reconstruction in 72% (169 cases) and meniscal repair as the only procedure in 28% (65 cases), which 171 were medial menisci and 63 lateral menisci. Regarding the technique used, the distribution was as follows: 151 outside-in, 31 all-inside, and 52 hybrids (mixed). The average number of sutures was 3.11, (range 2 – 10). The average follow-up was sixty months (range 48 – 72 months). The postoperative Lysholm score was 94 (range 87 – 96), postoperative IKDC was 88 (range 84 – 92), and the VAS score was 1/10. A total of 23 failures were recorded (9.8% of the total), 13 were associated with ACL reconstruction (56% of the failures), and the average age of this population was the same as the overall series (28 years old). Failures were assessed according to Barrett's criteria and confirmed intraoperatively with arthroscopic visualization.

Conclusion: understanding joint biomechanics and the importance of meniscal structures in preventing degenerative knee injuries, we should attempt meniscal repair in all possible cases. In our series, we used reproducible techniques with a low complication rate, resulting in a failure rate of 9.8%. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of “save the meniscus”.