title: Early results of all-inside meniscal repairs using a pre-loaded suture anchor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical and radiological results of all-inside meniscal repairs using a pre-loaded suture anchor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional hospital, Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2008 to June 2010, 51 patients with a mean age of 26 (range, 15-48) years with 57 meniscal tears underwent meniscal repair utilising the all-inside meniscal repair technique entailing a pre-loaded suture anchor. All tears were located at red-red or red-white zones. Concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed in 37 (73%) of the patients. Patients were evaluated postoperatively based on the International Knee Documentation Committee score, clinical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging. Presence of locking, joint-line tenderness, effusion, and positive McMurray test were considered to indicate clinical failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up was 19 (range, 12-39) months. An average of 2 (range, 1 to 4) suture devices was used per patient. The mean tear size was 20 (range, 10-40) mm. In all, 10 (18%) of the tears had failed clinically and 11 (19%) appeared unhealed on postoperative imaging. The mean International Knee Documentation Committee score improved significantly from 62 preoperatively to 81 postoperatively (P<0.001). Patients with concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction had better corresponding scores postoperatively than preoperatively (mean, 83 vs 65, P<0.001). The clinical and radiological outcome was not related to the chronicity, location or length of the tear, or patient age. No postoperative extra- or intra-articular complications were encountered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All-inside meniscal repair using a pre-loaded suture anchor is safe and effective, and yielded an 83% clinical and 81% radiological success rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. augustfok@hotmail.com
authors.forename: August W M
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fok
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Yau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D053441:Suture Anchors; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Arthroscopy; Knee injuries; Menisci, tibial; Rupture; Sutures