Suture and immobilization of acute peripheral injuries of the meniscus in rabbits

A comparative study of suturing or nonsuturing with or without immobilization of acute peripheral injuries to the medial meniscus of rabbits is reported. Artificial injuries to both knees of 44 male China Blue-Violet rabbits were sutured or left unsutured. One knee joint of each rabbit was immobilized postoperatively for 6 weeks. The maximum breaking strength was measured, pathologic examinations were performed, and healed areas were measured. The results showed that there was greater healed area, higher maximum breaking strength, earlier matured scar tissue formation, and more regular fiber alignment in the treatment groups with simple immobilization of the knee joint. These results were superior to suturing plus immobilization, suggesting that external immobilization of the knee joint is the key to the treatment of acute peripheral injuries of the meniscus. It may be the procedure of choice for clinical orthopedists dealing with such injuries. The measurement of the meniscus healed area and maximum breaking strength and the use of new material with this method of immobilization were introduced by the authors.