Meniscal repair

The 'outside-in' technique of meniscal repair.

Suitability for meniscal repair

There are nowadays special instruments, sutures and fixation devices that make repair possible, but not all tears are suitable for repair. The most suitable are likely to be longitudinal tears of the medial meniscus towards the outer rim of the meniscus where the blood supply is best.

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Techniques of meniscus repair

Techniques include 'inside-out' repair, 'outside-in' repair and 'all-inside' repair. This refers to the way in which the suture material is introduced through the cut surfaces and the suture tied off.

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How long is recovery after meniscus repair?

The recovery period depends on the technique used, the extent and situation of the initial damage and how active the patient is during the recovery period.

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Outcomes of meniscal repair

In general outcomes of meniscal repair are good, with the majority of athletes being able to return to sport. Occasionally the repair fails and may need revision. Sometimes there are complications, such as damage to superficial nerves and knee stiffness caused by local arthrofibrotic scar tissue..

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Quick links

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Forum discussions

• "3 weeks post-op meniscal repair and PAIN at NIGHT! Is this normal?"

  Patients discuss post-operative pain after repair of the meniscus.

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Peer-reviewed papers

• Quote:

  "Meniscus surgery has come a long way from the old slogan, “If it is torn, take it out!” to the currently accepted slogan, “Save the meniscus!” which has guided evolving modern treatment methods for meniscal tears."

  Citation: Doral MN, Bilge O, Huri G, Turhan E, Verdonk R. Modern treatment of meniscal tears. EFORT Open Rev. 2018 May 21;3(5):260-268. doi: 10.1302/2058-5241.3.170067. PMID: 29951265; PMCID: PMC5994634.

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