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An Improved Transosseous Pullout Suture Technique for Arthroscopic Repair of a Meniscus Root Tear

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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to explore the clinical efficiency of an improved transosseous pullout suture technique for arthroscopic repair of a meniscus root tear.

Methods

From January 2017 to January 2021, 53 patients with posterior meniscus root tears combined with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and/or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears were collected. Totally, in 29 patients (group A), the 2.0 mm modified pullout tunnel method was used to suture the posterior meniscus root, while 24 patients (group B) were treated with the traditional 4.5 mm pullout tunnel method. In group A, 20 patients had lateral meniscus posterior root (LMPR) combined with ACL tears, 5 patients had LMPR combined with ACL and PCL tears, and 4 patients had medial meniscus posterior root (MMPR) combined with ACL tears. In group B, 19 patients had LMPR combined with ACL tears, 3 patients had LMPR combined with ACL and PCL tears, and 2 patients had MMPR combined with ACL tears. The improvement of the Lysholm and VAS scores and the incidence of complications in group A and group B before the operation, 1 month and 3 months after the operation, and after the final follow-up were compared.

Results

Preoperative Lysholm score was 26.0±5.6 in group A and 26.7±5.8 in group B (P>0.05). One-month postoperative Lysholm score was 66.5±5.7 in group A and 54.3±2.4 in group B (P<0.001). Three-month postoperative Lysholm score was 81.1±7.2 in group A and 73.2±9.7 in group B (P<0.05). Lysholm scores after the final follow-up was 90.3±5.6 in group A and 90.0±5.0 in group B (P>0.05). Preoperative VAS score was 6.3±1.4 in group A and 6.3±1.2 in group B (P>0.05). One-month postoperative VAS score was 1.8±0.7 in group A and 2.4±0.9 in group B (P<0.05). Three-month postoperative VAS score was 0.7±0.6 in group A and 0.8±0.6 in group B (P>0.05). VAS score after the final follow-up was 0.2±0.4 in group A and 0.3±0.5 in group B (P>0.05).

Conclusion

The improved transosseous pullout suture technique using a smaller 2.0 mm bone tunnel can virtually eliminate the risk of conflict with other bone tunnels and facilitate the management of bone tunnels in multiple ligament injuries, while also diminishing suture abrasion caused by the windshield wiper effect. The technique achieves good clinical efficacy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China

    Wen-bin Zhao, Feng Tu & Hao Wang

Authors
  1. Wen-bin Zhao
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  2. Feng Tu
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  3. Hao Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Feng Tu.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2018CFC832).

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Zhao, Wb., Tu, F. & Wang, H. An Improved Transosseous Pullout Suture Technique for Arthroscopic Repair of a Meniscus Root Tear. CURR MED SCI 43, 779–783 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-023-2756-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-023-2756-z

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