Biologic healing of meniscal tears does not correlate with clinical outcomes (Healio)
Decreased meniscus extrusions were correlated with successful healing and repair but were not associated with functional outcomes, demonstrating that biologic healing is not necessarily essential to good patient outcomes, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
Researchers assessed nine patients who underwent meniscus root repair utilizing a pull-out technique. The follow-up period was, on average, 30 months. The researchers utilized Lysolm and WOMAC scores to determined outcome scores. Additionally. The researchers used MRIs to assess meniscus healing quality.
A review of MRI findings showed four of five patients had new medical meniscal tear after the previous meniscal tear. Additionally, a lack of biologic healing in attachment of the root and tears frequently occurred in four of the patients, according to the researchers.
WOMAC and Lysolm scores, on average, were 11.2 and 81.6, respectively. Meniscal extrusion in patients with frequent tears, on average, were 1.5 mm, whereas average extrusions in patients with healing were 1 mm.
No association was observed between clinical outcome scores and healing, according to the researchers. ‒ by Monica Jaramillo
Reference:
Lombardi NJ, et al. Medial Meniscus Root Repair: Are We Healing and How Do We Tell? Presented at: American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day; March 28, 2015; Las Vegas.
Disclosures: Lombardi reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full abstract for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.