Arthroscopic all-inside meniscal repair--Does the meniscus heal? A clinical and radiological follow-up examination to verify meniscal healing using a 3-T MRI.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to correlate clinical and radiological results using a 3-T MRI to verify meniscal healing after arthroscopic all-inside meniscus repair.


METHODS
We selected 27 patients (14 men and 13 women) with an average age of 31 ± 9 years and retrospective clinical examinations and radiological assessments using a 3-T MRI after all-inside arthroscopic meniscal repair were conducted. Repair of the medial meniscus was performed in 19 patients and of the lateral meniscus in eight. In 17 patients (63%), we performed concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The mean follow-up period was 4.5 ± 1.7 years. The Lysholm score and Tegner activity index were used for clinical evaluation. Four grades were used to classify the radiological signal alterations within the meniscus: central globular (grade 1); linear horizontal or band-like (grade 2); intrameniscal alterations and linear signal alterations communicating with the articular surface (grade 3); and complex tears (grade 4).


RESULTS
At follow-up, the average Lysholm score was 76 ± 15 points, with ten of the patients placed in group 6 based on the Tegner activity index. MRI examinations revealed no signal alteration in three patients, grade 1 in 0, grade 2 in five, grade 3 in 13, and grade 4 in six. The MRI findings correlated positively with the clinical scores in 21 patients (78%).


CONCLUSIONS
Correlation of clinical and radiological examination was performed using 3-T MRI. In spite of satisfactory clinical outcomes at follow-up, a radiological signal alteration may still be visible on MRI, which was believed to be scar tissue, but could not be proven definitively. Imaging with a 3-Tesla MRI after meniscal suture surgery provides good but no definitive reliability on meniscus healing and therefore gives no advantage compared to 1.5-T MRI, with good clinical outcome using an all-inside arthroscopic meniscal repair.


CONCLUSIONS
3T-MRI can not substitute diagnostic arthroscopy in patients with persistent complaints after arthroscopic all-inside meniscal repair.
Hoffelner
Thomas
T
Department of Traumatology and Sports Injuries, 5020, Muellner Hauptstrasse 48, Salzburg, Austria. t.hoffelner@salk.at
Resch
Herbert
H
Forstner
Rosemarie
R
Michael
Mayer
M
Minnich
Bernd
B
Tauber
Mark
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult