Inside-out Repair of Extensive Meniscal Tears Using Posteromedial and Posterolateral Neurovascular Protective Windows

Abstract

Three popular repair techniques for preserving the torn meniscus are the all-inside, outside-in, and inside-out techniques. Among these, the inside-out technique has shown low failure rates, and it therefore remains the gold-standard technique for repairing the torn meniscus. For extensive and chronic meniscal tears, proper use of this technique has become fundamental for knee surgeons. Nevertheless, challenges in using this technique include a higher risk of catching the neurovascular bundles on the posteromedial and posterolateral sides of the knee and difficulties in reducing and stabilizing chronically displaced meniscal fragments. In this article, the inside-out technique is revisited with an emphasis on anatomic details of how to avoid the neurovascular bundles while addressing extensive and chronic meniscal lesions.