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Meniscus - repair

Submitted by admin on March 13, 2008 - 7:18pm.

 

Good surgeons these days will generally try to repair a torn meniscus where practical.

At present there are a number of repair materials -

Illustration of meniscus repair

  • meniscal sutures - 'stitches'. Suturing, a fairly coarse but effective procedure, can be done arthroscopically (through a 'keyhole'). The suture ties are usually threaded out through the joint and the knots are buried just under the skin.

  • meniscal arrows - little half-inch long harpoons, just a millimetre wide, which are knocked or shot into the tear to hold the two surfaces together via the barbs. These are also bio-absorbable. Although they may work loose and have to be removed surgically, this is uncommon.

  • T-fix - similar, but T-shaped rather than harpoon-shaped.

  • Others - Other systems are being developed
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    Usually the fixation is bio-absorbable, and holds its strength just long enough for healing to occur, before getting absorbed by the body, leaving no sign of the repair material.

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