Abstract
BackgroundFew studies have approached in a long-term follow-up of meniscal repair at an amateur level, specially studying variables as a quality of life and failure rate. The purpose of this review is to study medium to long-term clinical results in patients at amateur sports patients, that have required meniscal sutures at our center, with or without ACL reconstruction. We evaluate the objective function of the knee, as well as patients’ return to sports activities, quality of life, and the rate of failed repair and study of the possible reasons.MethodsThis was an observational retrospective study. Ninety-two patients who regularly perform amateur sports activities (Tegner 4 to 7) were assessed, with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years, divided into 2 groups: group 1, isolated meniscal suture (43 cases) and group 2, associated to ACL reconstruction (49 cases). Each patient made this test in 2019: Lysholm and Tegner (validated for Spanish) before a knee injury and after surgery, motivation to return to sports activity (Likert scale with 3 items: low, regular, or high), and quality of life through SD-12 test.ResultsHigh return to amateur sports rate (92%) was even higher in the isolated meniscal repair group in comparison to the group with associated ACL. We have not found statistically significant differences between sports return and age, gender, injured meniscus, chondral injuries, preoperative Tegner score, or motivation. No significant differences in physical or mental health fields between both groups. Meniscal repair failed in 12 patients (13%). Higher rate of failure in isolated bucket-handle tear injuries (p < 0.0062). No statistically significant association was found between the other variables studied.ConclusionsGood results with 92% of sports return, low rate of complications, and low retear rate, even lower when is associated with ACL reconstruction and in external meniscus repair, and high values at SF-12 between 2 groups.
Highlights
The meniscus plays a fundamental role in knee biomechanics, acting as a joint shock absorber, and have proprioceptive, lubricating, and stability functions
The most of literature about meniscal repair and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is focused on the professional athlete, that is not the “day by day” patient in clinics worldwide, so maybe the results that we found in literature could not be extrapolated to the most of the cases, that situation can raise high expectations for both surgeon and patient
92 patients were included in the study, divided into 2 groups: group 1 corresponded to the patients that required isolated meniscal suture (43 cases), and group 2 included the cases that required meniscal suture associated with ACL reconstruction (49 cases)
Summary
The meniscus plays a fundamental role in knee biomechanics, acting as a joint shock absorber, and have proprioceptive, lubricating, and stability functions. Traumatic meniscus injuries are often associated with anterior cruciate ligament tears, chondral lesions, and medial collateral ligament injuries, among others, which can worsen the knee’s functional prognosis. In these cases, the objective must be recover function and the patient’s quality of life, a factor which is becoming more and more important and which few studies on this topic take into consideration [1, 2]. We evaluate the objective function of the knee, as well as patients’ return to sports activities, quality of life, and the rate of failed repair and study of the possible reasons
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