Meniscus Root Repair

Meniscus Root Repair

The menisci are attached to the tibial joint surface via anterior and posterior roots. Particularly following posterior root injuries, the menisci tend to move outward (extrusion) and lose their function. This condition can lead to knee joint pain and cartilage degeneration, potentially resulting in osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

In symptomatic patients with a meniscus root tear, if there is no significant joint degeneration and no major misalignment of the lower extremity, meniscus root repair should be performed.

In experienced hands, these tears can be repaired arthroscopically (closed) by passing suture threads through the posterior part of the meniscus, then threading them through bone tunnels and securing them on the bone surface. (Figure 1) For the meniscus tissue to reattach to the bone surface, heal, and regain its normal function, the patient must undergo a specialized rehabilitation period post-surgery.

Patients should walk with crutches without bearing weight for 6 weeks post-surgery, and knee movement should be restricted to 0-90 degrees for the first 4 weeks following the operation.