All-Suture, All-Inside Meniscus Repair Is Safe and Provides Favorable Short-Term Clinical Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs), complications, and reoperations after all-inside meniscus repair using an all-suture implant.

METHODS

A review of a prospectively maintained database was performed to identify patients who underwent all-inside meniscus repair using a knotless, tensionable, all-suture implant by the senior author between November 2019 and December 2023. PROs (including Knee Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation, pain visual analog scale, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scores, as well as Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] subscales), and charts were analyzed to monitor change over time. Mixed linear regression, analysis of variance, and estimated marginal means were used to determine factors associated with improved or worsening outcomes.

RESULTS

Sixty-three patients were deemed eligible for inclusion. The minimum length of follow-up was 7.33 months (mean, 16.32 months; range, 7.33-43.82 months). All assessed PROs at 6 months postoperatively and final follow-up were significantly improved compared with the preoperative values (P < .001 for all measures). Significant improvements between scores at 6 months postoperatively and final follow-up were also observed in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function score (P < .001) and the KOOS Sports and Recreation (P = .02) and Quality of Life (P = .02) subscales. There were no complications related to the implant, with zero cases of hardware irritation or hardware removal. There were 4 retears, with 2 patients undergoing subsequent partial meniscectomy. Five patients, who had undergone concomitant procedures, experienced arthrofibrosis and underwent further surgical intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing meniscus repair with knotless, tensionable, all-suture implants showed significantly improved PROs at 6 months after surgery that were maintained through final follow-up, with a 6.35% failure rate. There were zero cases of hardware-related complications, suggesting that knotless, tensionable, all-suture implants are safe and reliable for all-inside meniscus tear repair.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective therapeutic case series.