Is repeated repair of the meniscus worthwhile?

Meniscal injuries are one of the most commonly encountered problems by orthopaedic surgeons. It is well established that meniscectomy will result in increased joint surface contact forces and the predictable progression of arthritis. The management of meniscal tears has evolved and current evidence would suggest that every attempt should be made to repair meniscal tears when appropriate. The reported success rate of meniscal repair is encouraging, but relatively little is known about the outcome of repeated repair of a re-torn meniscus. This review presents an illustrative case of a recurrent lateral meniscal tear in a young female, that has required surgical repair on three occasions over a fourteen year period. Despite recurrent tears of her lateral meniscus, the patient was symptom-free in the intervening periods and at her latest operation, her articular cartilage showed minimal evidence of chondral damage. Longer-term follow-up is required to determine whether repair of a re-torn meniscus prevents the progression of degenerative changes within the knee joint that is associated with meniscectomy.