The Results of Arthroscopic All-Inside Repair Using Two Posteromedial Portals for The Posterior Horn Tears of Medial Meniscus

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency and clinical result of all-inside repair using 2 posteromedial portals for medial meniscus posterior horn tear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 63 knees with m 'al meniscus posterior horn tear, which were repaired by all-inside method using 2 posteromedial portals between March 1997 and March 1999. They were assessed by variable parameters such as pain, joint line tenderness, effusion and McMurray testing. Of these, 30 knees were assessed by the second-look arthroscopy or MRI and the results were graded as healed, incompletely healed or failed. The healing rates were calculated and the effect of tear location, type of tear, the number of sutures used, ACL reconstruction and the repair technique was analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, asymptomatic healing occurred in 96.9/o of knees. At second-look arthroscopy or MRI, the healing rate was 93.3% with 83.3% healed and 10.0% incompletely healed, The failure rate was 6.7%(2 cases). There was no complication at follow up. Th rate of healing increased when tears were longitudinal in the peripheral site, the numbers of suture were smaller, when the repair was combined with the ACL reconstruction and when all-inside technique was performed independently. CONCLUSION: All-inside method using 2 posteromedial portals has a high healing rate and is an improved technique due to its safety, ease than Morgan's method and rigid fixation with vertical suture.