Knee surgeries, particularly meniscus repair surgery and meniscectomies, have become very common. While traditional meniscus repair surgery is relatively low risk, there is a potential for adverse reactions. Orthopedic researchers work to validate the effectiveness of surgery techniques and test out new surgery methods. 

Researchers from OrthoCarolina and Atrium Health in North Carolina, presented new research at the 2020 Orthopedic Research Society evaluating a new all-inside posterior medial meniscal root repair technique via suture fixation to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). (1)

Evaluating eight human cadaveric knees, three testing conditions were evaluated: an intact knee, two root tears and three new repair methods.  Contact area, contact pressure, and peak contact pressures were measured using Tekscan’s K-Scan System to determine this new technique’s ability to restore tibiofemoral contact mechanics. Researchers found that all improvements in contact area, contact pressure, and peak contact pressures at most knee flexion angles with the new technique were comparable or better than the intact knee. 

Saltzman, et al, comments that the alternate proposed method of repair, which may lessen adverse effects on the knee joint’s loading and improving long term outcomes. The researchers suggest that future studies will look to evaluate a larger sample size. 

1. Saltzman, B. M., Habet, N.A., Trofa, D., Corpus, K.T., Odum, S., Carillo Garcia, J.C, Connor, P., Piasecki, D.P., Fleischli, J.E., & Varkey, D. Biomechanical Evaluation of a Novel, All-Inside Posterior Medial Meniscal Root Repair via Fixation to the Posterior Cruciate Ligament. Paper Presented at the 66^th Annual Meeting of Orthopedic Research Society, Phoeniz, AZ.

View the full abstract here. 

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