title: [Experimental study of effect of meniscus suture on meniscus healing].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of meniscus suture on meniscus healing which included healing time and healing pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourty healthy rabbits were adopted in this study. The model of meniscus injury was made by a longitudinal incision at the medial meniscus of the left knee. The rabbits were divided into two groups, the experimental group was treated by meniscus suture and the control group was unsutured. After operation, the meniscus samples were collected periodically and observed by gross, light and electronic microscope to analysis the meniscus healing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The injured meniscus was healed gradually and completely at the sixth week in the experimental groups. More fibroblasts and less fibrocartilage cells could be observed in the healed meniscus. Oppositely, there was no meniscus healing in the control group and the edge of injured meniscus was sealed by epithelioid cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The meniscus suture can accelerate the healing process of meniscus injury. Besides, early suture make the injured meniscus correctly positioned to ensure the normal healing process.
authors.affiliation: Center of Orthopedic Surgery, 304th Hospital of PLA, Beijing, P. R. China 100037.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013537:Sutures; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries; D014945:Wound Healing