All-Inside Suture Repair for Isolated Radial Tears at the Midbody of the Lateral Meniscus

Abstract

In young athletes, radial tear of the midbody on the semilunar lateral meniscus in stable knees is most common. Conventionally, for this type of tear, meniscectomy has been considered as a first-line treatment. However, meniscectomy does not prevent degenerative change. Therefore, repair is another treatment option for a full radial tear, though this type of tear can be difficult to repair because of the lack of a vascular supply. Compared with conventional transcapsular suture techniques (e.g., inside-out/outside-in techniques or all-inside techniques with implants), all-inside suture (AIS) repair techniques can avoid bunching of the meniscus to the capsule. AIS is considered suitable for restoration of normal structure and movement of the meniscus after repair, which can be advantageous for meniscal healing. However, AIS repair for an isolated radial tear at the midbody of the lateral meniscus has rarely been reported. Therefore, we applied the AIS repair technique for isolated radial tear at the midbody of the semilunar lateral meniscus using a QuickPass SutureLasso with 2-0 FiberWire. This procedure is easier and less invasive, shortening the gap by drawing each stump of the meniscus in the direction of the circumference.