Long-term assessment of meniscal extrusion after meniscal repair.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic meniscal repair limits the medium-term risk of radiological osteoarthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cannot provide an accurate assessment of meniscal healing but may show harbingers of osteoarthritis such as meniscal extrusion. The objective of this study was to assess long-term meniscal extrusion after meniscal repair. HYPOTHESIS: Arthroscopic meniscal suture is not followed by meniscal extrusion and can, therefore, provide good knee function in the long-term. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic meniscal suture on a stable or stabilised knee were included retrospectively. MRI was performed to measure absolute meniscal extrusion (AME), relative meniscal extrusion (RME), anterior sagittal extrusion (ASE), posterior sagittal extrusion (PSE), coronal cartilage coverage index (cCCI), and sagittal cartilage coverage index (sCCI). RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 8.8±0.87 years, there was no evidence of meniscal extrusion in these patients with stable or stabilised knees: AME, 1.7±1.03 and 2.3±0.93mm, RME, 17±0.10% and 28±0.12%, ASE, 2.52±1.43 and 1.71±2.42mm, PSE, 0.29±3.49 and 0.22±2.35mm, cCCI, 23±0.08% and 20±0.09%, and sCCI, 49±0,10% and 53±0.09%. CONCLUSION: In the long-term after meniscal repair, osteoarthritis is limited and meniscal function seems preserved. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, retrospective study.