Has chronicity of injury in terms of time interval influence on survival rate of arthroscopic meniscal repair?

Arthroscopic meniscal repair is the gold standard for longitudinal peripheral meniscal tears. The time interval between trauma and meniscal repair is still controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate failure rates and clinical outcome of arthroscopic meniscal repair system with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in relation to chronicity of injury.

Between July 2006 and March 2013, 313 patients underwent an arthroscopic meniscal repair by three different orthopedic surgeons, each with at least five years of experience in arthroscopic meniscal repair. After getting an approval from the local Institutional Review Board multiple attempts were made to contact all 313 patients by telephone during summer 2014. All medical records were checked for reoperations and complications. If patients could be reached, they were asked to complete multiple questionnaires after they had given their informed consent. The questionnaires were send by post or email.

Study instruments included the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Lysholm score, Tegner score and additional questions about patients’ medical history, especially about any possible reoperation elsewhere.

The patients were divided into three groups according to the interval between trauma and meniscal repair: ≤ 2 weeks (acute), >2 weeks – 12 weeks (subacute) and > 12 weeks (chronic). The criteria for failure were partial or (sub)total meniscectomy of the previous sutured meniscus.

Time interval between trauma and arthroscopic meniscal repair has no influence on clinical outcome

at least 1 year post operative follow-up

questionnaires; KOOS, Tegner, Lysholm