The knee meniscus: management of traumatic tears and degenerative lesions (original) (raw)
Related papers
Conservative treatment of meniscal tears in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
The Knee, 2016
Background: Management of small and stable meniscal tears within the vascular zone at the time of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of meniscal tear left in situ at the time of ACL reconstruction. Methods: Using the IKDC, KT-1000 and the Tegner Activity Score (TAS), we retrospectively analysed 175 cases of ACL reconstruction with meniscal tears performed from 2006 to 2012. Patients with residual laxity on clinical assessment were identified and considered as a subgroup. Clinical outcome and failure rate were evaluated. Results: In 83 patients (47.4%), a meniscal tear was left in situ at the time of ACL reconstruction: 45 were medial and 38 were lateral. Patients were clinically reassessed with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. The overall failure rate of conservative meniscal treatment in patients with objective residual laxity was 87.5%, and 6.7% in patients with a stable knee (P b 0.001). Those with stable knees had higher postoperative IKDC subjective scores (P = 0.0022) and TAS (P b 0.0001). Patients without residual laxity had higher failure rate for the medial meniscus compared with lateral meniscus-10.5% versus 2.7% (P=0.36)-and the red-red zone had lower revision rate compared with the red-white zone (P = 0.0322). Conclusions: The conservative treatment of small and stable peripheral tears of the medial and lateral menisci had low failure rate and no described complications. In our series residual laxity significantly increased the failure rate.
Meniscus Tears and Review of the Literature
Meniscus of the Knee - Function, Pathology and Management, 2018
The knee joint is the largest and most complicated joint in the human body. Bone structures, capsules, menisci, and ligaments provide static stability in the knee joint and are responsible for dynamic stabilization of the muscles and tendons. Menisci are fibrocartilage structures that cover two-thirds of the tibial plateau joint surface. The main functions of the meniscus are load sharing and loading of the tibiofemoral joint, shock absorption, helping to feed the cartilage by facilitating dissociation of the joint fluid, and contributing to the joint fit by increasing joint stability and joint contact surface area. Menisci are frequently injured structures. The incidence of acute meniscal tears is 60 per 100,000. It is more common in males. Trauma-related tears are common in patients under 30 years of age, whereas degenerative complex tears increase in patients over 30 years of age. There may not be a significant trauma story, especially in degenerative meniscus tears. They are sports traumas that come to the fore in the etiology of meniscus tears. It is the football that has the greatest risk of creating a meniscus lesion, followed by athletics, American football, and skiing. There is an indication for repair in peripheral ruptures where blood flow is excessive. In the central rupture where blood is not present, the treatment is meniscectomy. In this review, we compiled the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment methods of the meniscal tears.
The Knee, 2018
Background: The role of an intact meniscus in providing mechanical stability to the knee of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient and ACL reconstructed patients has not been well studied. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. A total of 205 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction were enrolled, of which 61 had normal menisci, 49 had a tear in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PHMM) (tear b40% of width = 19; N 40% of width = 30), 35 had a tear in the lateral meniscus (b 40% of width = 15; N40% = 20), 13 had a tear in the body and/or anterior horn of the medial meniscus (b40% of width = 6; N40% = 7) and 47 patients had a tear in both menisci. Patients with a tear in both menisci were excluded. The anterior translation of the tibia (ATT) was calculated preoperatively and postoperatively at three months and six months using KT-1000. Partial meniscectomy was performed in all unstable meniscal tears. Results: The mean age at the time of surgery was 25.2 ± 5.1 years. Patients with a normal meniscus showed side to side difference in KT-1000 of 4.8 ± 2.5 mm whereas those with a b 40% tear and N 40% tear in PHMM had a difference of 5.36 ± 3.07 mm (P = 0.46) and 7.08 ± 2.78 mm (P = 0.0002), respectively. Patients with a lateral meniscus b 40% and N40% tear had a mean difference of 5.68 ± 2.96 mm (P = 0.22) and 5.95 ± 2.39 mm (P = 0.09), respectively. Patients with body and/or anterior horn of medial meniscus b40% and N 40% had a difference of 5.41 ± 1.11 mm (P = 0.59) and 5.78 ± 2.38 mm (P = 0.35), respectively. At three months and six months KT-1000 differences of 2.3 ± 1.2 mm and 2.1 ± 1.2 mm were seen in patients with normal meniscus; 2.26 ± 1.51 mm and 2.16 ± 0.9 mm with partial meniscectomy of the PHMM b40%; 2.65 ± 1.53 mm and 2.4 ± 1.35 mm with partial meniscectomy of the PHMM N 40%; 2.27 ± 1.19 mm and 2.07 ± 1.52 mm with partial meniscectomy of the lateral meniscus b 40%; and 2.27 ± 1.44 mm and 2.07 ± 1.14 mm with partial meniscectomy of the lateral meniscus N40%; 2.55 ± 1.56 mm and 1.91 ± 1.09 mm with partial meniscectomy in body and/or anterior horn of medial meniscus b 40% and 2.07 ± 1.81 and 2.14 ± 1.10 mm with partial meniscectomy in body and/or anterior horn of medial meniscus N40% (P N 0.05). Conclusion: PHMM acts as a secondary stabilizer of the knee joint in the absence of functional ACL. There is no effect of partial meniscectomy on mechanical stability of the knee in ACL reconstructed patients. Medial or lateral partial meniscectomy performed at the time of ACL reconstruction does not affect the stability of ACL reconstructed knee. However, the presence of a concomitant tear in PHMM is associated with increased instability in ACL deficient knee.
Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, 2023
The purpose of this study was to evaluate practice patterns of a single surgeon with respect to meniscectomy and meniscal repair over a 20-year period at a single institution. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out by reviewing the surgical data from the past 20 years (2002-2021) of patients who underwent arthroscopic primary meniscal surgery. Age, sex, knee and meniscus affected, morphology of the meniscal tear, meniscal radial location, location on the axial plane, tissue quality, and associated injuries were recorded. An analysis of the evolution of the characteristics of the meniscal lesions was performed according to the presence of degenerative tissue, the repairability of the lesion, and the treatment performed. Categorical data were represented in contingency tables and compared using the c 2 test for significance of differences, which was set at P < .05. Results: In total, 1,892 cases were included. A decrease in degenerative meniscal tears was found, from 63.2 in 2002 to 2006 to 9.7% in 2017 to 2021 (P < .001), while repairable tears increased from 1.6% to 82.3% P < .001); in the same periods, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy procedures declined from 75.7% to 17.7% (P < .001) while meniscal repair increased from 0.4% to 81.3% (P < .001). All types of tears increased significantly their repairability, although longitudinal tears, root tears, and ramp lesions showed the highest possibilities for repair. Conclusions: In the present study, a drastic change in the attitude toward meniscal preservation in the past 20 years was observed, with a large increase in the proportion of tears considered repairable found in primary arthroscopic surgery (to 80% of cases) and a decrease in degenerative meniscus tears (to less than 10%). Clinical Relevance: In the past 2 decades, arthroscopic knee surgery has evolved such that more meniscus tears are deemed repairable, and fewer tears considered degenerative are indicated for arthroscopy.
Journal of Orthopaedic Science and Research, 2021
Meniscus tears are the most frequent knee injuries. Menisci provide joint stability and local pressure distribution. A meniscus injury contributes to the early development of osteoarthritis. The aim of our study is to analyze the results of partial meniscectomy at 4 years follow-up, comparing time of sport recovery between lateral and medial partial meniscectomy. At our institute 94 young athletes with meniscal tear were surgically treated with partial meniscectomy. 75 (80%) were males and 19 (20%) females. Medial meniscus was interested in 74 cases (79%), lateral meniscus in 20 (21 %). Mean age at treatment was 26 ± 4, 98 (range 18-35) years. 15 (16%) patients with medial meniscus tear had associated an ACL tear, which was repaired with an arthroscopic reconstruction by hamstring. Return to sport happened significantly earlier in the medial meniscus tears group than in the lateral meniscus tears group (average time 40±4, 14 days versus 59±7, 24 days). Student's Ttest showed statistical significance (p-value = 0.0147).
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
Background: Although numerous studies have assessed arthroscopic medial meniscal repairs, few studies have focused on factors affecting outcomes of vertical longitudinal and bucket-handle repairs. Purpose: To evaluate the factors affecting clinical outcomes of arthroscopically repaired traumatic vertical longitudinal and bucket-handle medial meniscal tears. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 223 patients underwent arthroscopic repair for medial meniscal tears between 2007 and 2012; 140 patients had isolated tears or concurrent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, and 80 patients (76 men, 4 women; mean age, 29.1 years; range, 18-49 years) had vertical longitudinal tears and were included in the study. Pre- and postoperative functional status was assessed using physical examinations with Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. Barrett criteria were used for clinical assessment of meniscal healing, and magnetic...
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 2004
The purposes of this multi-center study were: (a) to document the location and type of meniscal and chondral lesions that accompany anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and (b) to test for possible relationships between these lesions and patient age, time from initial injury (TFI), and sports level (i.e., recreation, amateur, professional, and national). The cases of 764 patients with ACL tears who underwent arthroscopy for the first time were retrospectively analyzed. The group included 684 males and 80 females of mean age 27 years (range 14-59 years). The mean TFI was 19.8 months (range 0.2-360 months). Eighty-seven percent of the group engaged in regular sporting activity. Thirty-seven percent had medial meniscal tears, 16% had lateral meniscal tears, and 20% had tears of both menisci. The most common tear types were longitudinal tears in the posterior and middle horns of both menisci. Tears of the lateral meniscus were more centrally located than those of the medial meniscus. Incomplete tears and radial tears were significantly more common in the lateral meniscus. Nineteen percent of the knees had one or more chondral lesions. Sixty percent of the chondral lesions were located in the medial tibio-femoral compartment. Patient age was statistically associated with presence of a medial meniscal tear, presence of a grade 3 or 4 chondral lesion, and presence of a complex tear of the medial meniscus. Sports level was not statistically related to any of the parameters studied. The odds of having a medial meniscal tear at 2 to 5 years TFI were 2.2 times higher than the odds in the first year post-injury, and the odds at >5 years were 5.9 times higher than at 0 to 12 months TFI. The frequency of lateral meniscal tear remained fairly constant at 2 years TFI. The odds of having a grade 3 or 4 chondral lesion were 2.7 times greater at 2 to 5 years TFI than they were at 1 year post-injury, and these odds increased to 4.7 when patients at >5 years TFI were compared to those in the 2 to 5 years category. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that TFI and age were equally important predictors of lateral meniscal tears and of grade 3 or 4 chondral lesions; however, TFI was the better predictor of medial meniscal tear.
Repair of peripheral meniscal tears: Open versus arthroscopic technique
Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, 1991
Tears in the peripheral vascular zone of 71 menisci in 68 knees were repaired by us from 1978 to 1986. The meniscus repair was done by open arthrotomy in 26 cases and by arthroscopic techniques in 45 cases. We have assessed the relative efficacies of open and arthroscopic repair techniques. The results were compared in knees with and without anterior cruciate laxity. The indications for meniscal repair included unstable peripheral detachments and longitudinal tears of the outer third of the meniscus. Open repair was performed by a posteromedial arthrotomy incision. Arthroscopic repair was done using the double-lumen guide system with a limited posterior incision for retrieval of needles. We have found that the arthroscopic technique is easier to perform than the open repair because some tears are too far inside the rim to lend themselves to open suture. The average follow-up is 4 years, 2 months, with a range of 2-10 years. There have been no neurologic or vascular injuries from either technique. Twenty-five patients have had a repeat arthroscopy. The overall failure rate was 9.8%. The difference between the failure rate of 11% in the open-repair group and 8.8% in the arthroscopic repair group was not statistically significant. The failure rate in anterior cruciate-stable knees was 8% versus a 13% failure in cruciate-deficient knees. We conclude that both open and arthroscopic meniscus repair techniques are safe and effective with few complications in both stable and unstable knees. Anterior cruciate ligament stability is ideal, but it is not mandatory for a successful result.
Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, 2003
Purpose: Meniscal rasping without suturing has been experimentally shown to stimulate vascular induction in tears in the avascular zone of menisci, resulting in meniscal healing. The goals of this study were to arthroscopically assess the results of meniscal rasping and analyze the factors affecting meniscal healing. Type of Study: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Forty-eight torn menisci in 47 patients (age range, 14-47 years; average, 24 years) treated arthroscopically with the meniscal rasping technique were evaluated by second-look arthroscopy. The interval between the injury and the time of surgery ranged from 3 weeks to 13 years. There were 35 lateral and 13 medial meniscal tears associated with 44 anterior cruciate ligament injuries; 28 of the menisci had a full-thickness longitudinal tear and the other 20 had a partial-thickness tear. The length of the tears ranged from 10 to 33 mm (mean, 14.4 mm). The distance from the capsule to the tear ranged from 1 to 9 mm (mean, 5.0 mm). Results: Thirty-four menisci (71%) healed completely (without a marked visible unhealed area), 10 (21%) healed incompletely, and 4 (8%) showed no evidence of healing. There were no relationships between outcome and age, gender, injured side, or time from injury and rasping. Both the distance from the capsule to the tear and the length of the tear were longer in the unhealed menisci. Stable tears had a high healing rate after meniscal rasping. Conclusions: Meniscal rasping without suturing is an easy procedure to perform and seems to be a reliable way to repair longitudinal tears in the avascular region of the meniscus, although the healing potential of the procedure is affected by the distance from the capsule to the tear site and the length and the stability of the tear.