Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the long-term results of arthroscopic meniscal repair of any longitudinal meniscal tear in red-red or red-white zone. Methods: 60 patients 30.5 years old average (range 15 to 50) underwent arthroscopic meniscal repair (Ç inside-out È technique, Jacobs-Staue-bli method, 1988) and were followed up 30.1 months on average. 34 patients (50%) had an additional ACL rapture, which was repaired at the same operation. Postoperatively, all patients followed a particular program of rehabilitation using a controlled motion knee brace: immediate weight-bearing with the brace locked in 10¡, motion without weight-bearing from 10 to 90 degrees of ßexion for the þrst six weeks and then weight-bearing in motion was allowed. Results: Patients were re-examined and average Lysholm score was 95, while recurrence occurred in 5 patients (7.3%) and 3 of them submitted to meniscectomy. The rest of the patients returned to their former activities in a six-month period, including those who underwent an ACL reconstruction. Conclusions: Arthroscopic meniscal repair has excellent functional results and should always be applied on any longitudinal meniscal tear in red-red or red-white zone. Additional ACL ruptures should be treated at the same time.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
