A case of bilateral posterior medial meniscus root tear: Partial menisectomy versus pull-out suture repair

Abstract

The meniscal roots are sites where the knee meniscus attaches to the central tibial plateau, adjacent to the tibial insertions of the cruciate ligaments. Medial meniscus root tears (MMRTs) are commonly associated with other intra-articular pathology and have a debilitating effect on knee kinematics due to loss of circumferential hoop stresses. Many surgical options for repair have been described in the literature including partial or total menisectomy, pullout sutures and suture anchors. We present a unique case of a 27 year old female who sustained a bilateral posterior horn MMRT. One knee was repaired using the pullout suture technique and the other knee underwent partial menisectomy. We found no significant difference in Lysholm scores in the short or medium term between the two methods. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a bilateral medial meniscus root tear.