Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Repair Using a Modified Mason-Allen Suture Can Prevent the Progression of Cartilage Degeneration on the Loading Surface of the Medial Compartment: A Second-Look Arthroscopic Evaluation

• DOI: 10.18926/amo/62380
• Publication Date: 2021-08-01
• Authors: Takihira, Shota; Furumatsu, Takayuki; Okazaki, Yuki; Hiranaka, Takaaki; Kintaka, Keisuke; Kodama, Yuya; Kamatsuki, Yusuke; Miyazawa, Shinichi; Ozaki, Toshifumi
• Keywords: Cartilage, Articular; Male; Suture Techniques; Middle Aged; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Tibial Meniscus Injuries; 03 medical and health sciences; medial meniscus; Arthroscopy; 0302 clinical medicine; Second-Look Surgery; 616; modified Mason-Allen suture technique; Humans; articular cartilage; second-look arthroscopy; Female; posterior root tear; Aged; Retrospective Studies

The treatment of medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) has evolved to include a variety of repair strategies. This study investigated the location of the articular cartilage degeneration during second-look arthroscopy after transtibial pullout repair with a modified Mason-Allen suture using FasT-Fix (F-MMA) in 22 patients with MMPRTs. Second-look arthroscopy was performed approximately 1 year postoperatively to eval-uate the healing status of the medial meniscus (MM). Articular cartilage degeneration was assessed using the International Cartilage Repair Society grade at primary surgery and again at second-look arthroscopy. Articular surfaces of the medial/lateral femoral condyles, the medial/lateral tibial plateaus, the patella and the trochlea were divided into several subcompartments (MF 1-9, LF 1-9, MT 1-5, LT 1-5, P 1-9, T 1-3). Clinical evaluations used the Japanese Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome, Lysholm, and International Knee Documentation Committee scores. Second-look arthroscopic findings showed complete healing of the MM posterior root in all patients. Significant differences between pullout repair and second-look arthroscopy were observed for MF 2 and 4, LF 7, and P 7. All clinical outcomes were improved. Our results indicate that this technique improves clinical outcomes postoperatively and may prevent the progression of cartilage degenera-tion on the loading surface of the medial knee compartment.