Short- to mid-term results of arthroscopic meniscal repair of long vertical longitudinal tears using combined cruciate and horizontal suture techniques: a retrospective study

Introduction: The purpose was to evaluate the clinical results of arthroscopic meniscal repair of long vertical longitudinal tears using combined cruciate and horizontal suture techniques.; Methods: Single surgeon retrospective case series study. A total of 38 patients having long vertical longitudinal tears were operated using combined cruciate and horizontal suture techniques. Two patients had to undergo a meniscectomy procedure within the 1st year postoperative and those were considered failure cases; 32 patients were available for follow-up evaluation (average 4.6 years) and six were lost including the two failures. Objective IKDC, modified Lysholm knee score, SF-36 score, VAS for patients’ satisfaction and VAS for pain were used for follow-up evaluation. Kellgren and Lawrence (K/L) classification of osteoarthritis was also used.; Results: Successful rate was 94.1 % (32 patients), while failure was 5.9 % (2 patients). Objective IKDC score revealed that 27 patients had grade “A” and 5 had grade “B,” while no single patient had neither grade “C” nor “D.” The average modified Lysholm score was 91.3. Average SF-36 score was 88.4. The average VAS for operation satisfaction was eight. Average VAS for pain was 1.5. Preoperatively, 30 patients were classified as normal K/L classification, while two patients were K/L classification grade “1.” At the time of the follow-up, 24 patients were classified as normal K/L classification, six were grade “1,” two were grade “2,” and thus, six had osteoarthritis progression.; Conclusion: Arthroscopic meniscal repair of long vertical longitudinal tears using combined cruciate and horizontal suture techniques is a safe surgical procedure with good clinical outcome.; Level of evidence: Level IV. © 2014, Springer-Verlag France.