Meniscal Ramp Lesions Repair: An Under-Meniscus All-Inside Suture in Cases of Isolated Meniscotibial Ligament Tears

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures are commonly associated with ramp lesions of the medial meniscus. These posterior longitudinal peripheral tears induce medial meniscus instability and increase the anteroposterior and rotational knee laxity. We divided ramp lesions in 3 types: meniscocapsular ligament tears, meniscotibial ligament tears, and a combination of both lesions. The conventional surgical technique for treating meniscal ramp lesions is to use a suture hook device through a posteromedial approach, which is a complex process requiring a learning curve and extensive surgical time. An anterior approach often is criticized as underestimating the true incidence of ramp lesion and to offer insufficient operating space. The purpose of this technical note is to describe our arthroscopic repair technique in cases of isolated meniscotibial ligament tears. The suture is performed by an under-meniscus anterior approach with a percutaneous medial collateral ligament release to create an additional opening of the medial compartment. This simple procedure allows for accurate diagnoses of the meniscotibial lesions and enables repair of the lesions with an all-inside suture device without the usual drawbacks of a posteromedial approach.