Description
Purpose of the present study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of meniscal suture in a restricted population of patients with more than 50 years old with clinical and radiological evidence of isolated meniscal tear, after failure of 6 months of conservative treatment.
We retrospectively reviewed patients with more than 50 years old, treated between the 1st January 2017 and the 30th June 2023 at our
division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII of Bergamo, with meniscal repair with suture, for an isolated meniscal tear after failure of conservative therapy (physiokinesitherapy + corticostheroid intrarticular injection + NSAID).
For every patients MRI of the affected knee, weight-bearing bilateral long-leg standing and bilateral standard (AP and LL) and Rosenberg view of the knee radiographs were obtained pre-operatively, and a 6 months post-operative MRI to evaluate the healing of the suture.
In every case the first line of treatment was conservative treatment based in 2 corticostheroid intrarticular injection (triamcinolone acetonide + lidocaine), physiokinesitherapy and oral NSAID as needed.
The presence of effusion and/or mechanical symptoms (knee locking and catching) in the affected knee at follow-up were considered failure of the conservative treatment, and patient were given surgical indication of meniscal repair.
Kellgren and Lawrence grading system was used for classifying knee osteoarthritis based on the AP and lateral view of the knee. KOOS, IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner Level Activity Scale were administered pre-operatively and at final follow-up.
11 patients were enrolled, 6 females and 5 males with a mean age of 53,35 years old (50-64, SD=4,13) at a mean follow-up of 22 months (6-66, SD=16,82). 9 patients presented a lesion in the lateral meniscus, while only 2 in the medial one. The mean grade of arthrosis as per the Kellgren and Lawrence classification was 1 (0-2, DS=0,63).
