Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair in Outside-In Technique: A Clinical and Paraclinical Study

Nowadays open meniscal repair approach is completely replaced by arthroscopic meniscal repair.
The current study aimed at assessing the results of arthroscopic meniscal repair using the outside-in technique.
Patients diagnosed with meniscal tearing from 2008 to 2014 fulfilling the inclusion criteria were entered to the current cohort study. Outcomes of arthroscopic meniscal repair were assessed by 2 known questionnaires, IKDC (international knee documentation committee) and KOOS (knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score), as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of knee.
A total of 63 patients were assessed. The mean age and follow-up period were 28.8 ± 4.8 years and 44.3 ± 20.3 months, respectively; 82% of the subjects were male and 60.3% had injuries in both meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); 76% of the patients had medial meniscal injury; 67% had posterior horn tear, and 56% had longitudinal meniscal tear. There was no significant association between age, gender, grade of tear, number of sutures, anatomic site of tear, and type of tear with the level of patient’s satisfaction. Patients with simultaneous reconstruction of ACL had significant difference compared with the ones with isolated meniscal injury. Grading of tear in MRI had no association with the better outcomes according to the questionnaires.
Arthroscopic meniscal repair using the outside-in technique yielded acceptable results.