Meniscus Repair in 2007

The meniscus has many functions that are vital to the well-being of the knee. If the meniscus is excised, the incidence of subsequent knee arthritis is significantly increased. As a result, a torn meniscus should be repaired if possible. Numerous factors need to be considered before attempting repair, because not all are amendable to repair and others have a high rate of failure. Once a case is deemed an appropriate candidate, several methods to be performed for the repair are available. They are commonly categorized as inside-out, outside-in, and all- inside. Each has its risks and benefits, with the inside-out method considered the gold standard to which others are compared. In this article, patient selection, methods of repair, and outcomes will be discussed.