A Modified Arthroscopic All-inside Repair for Lateral Meniscal Tears Anterior to the Popliteal Hiatus: A Retrospective Case Series with Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

BackgroundTo determine the clinical and MRI outcomes after modified arthroscopic all-inside repair for lateral meniscal tears anterior to the popliteal hiatus.MethodsPatients who underwent modified arthroscopic all-inside repair for lateral meniscal tears anterior to the popliteal hiatus at our institution were identified. The clinical assessment consisted of the symptoms of meniscal tears, McMurray test, and patient-reported outcomes (Lysholm score, Tegner score, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score). The status of meniscal healing was assessed using postoperative MRI scan.ResultsTwenty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 27.60 ± 8.37 years (range, 16 to 43 years). The mean follow-up period was 26.04 ± 2.88 months (range, 24 to 36 months). At final follow-up, the symptoms of meniscal tears disappeared in 23 patients with a negative McMurray test. The patient-reported outcomes of Lysholm, Tegner, and IKDC score improved significantly compared to the preoperative values (P = 0.001). No significant differences were observed in postoperative clinical outcomes between patients with or without concomitant ACL tears (P > 0.05). Postoperative MRI scan showed that the repaired lateral meniscus anterior to the popliteal hiatus obtained healing in 23 (92.0%) patients and no healing in 2 patients.ConclusionThis modified arthroscopic all-inside repair technique was safe and effective to treat lateral meniscal tears anterior to the popliteal hiatus, resulting in significantly improved clinical outcomes with a high healing rate and low risk of adjacent structures injury.