The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the shinbone (tibia) and thighbone (femur) in the knee joint. Meniscal tears are a common sports injury and can cause knee pain and swelling. If left untreated, meniscal tears can lead to further damage like arthritis. Traditionally, torn pieces of meniscus were simply removed through arthroscopic surgery. However, advances in technology now allow surgeons to repair damaged meniscus tissue rather than removing it whenever possible. Let's take a closer look at the latest meniscus repair systems and how they are improving outcomes for patients.

Arthroscopic Repair Techniques
Traditional arthroscopic partial meniscectomy has been the standard treatment for degenerative medial Meniscal tears for decades. However, it has become clear that removal of meniscal tissue predisposes patients to the development of osteoarthritis. As a result, all-inside and inside-out arthroscopic meniscal repair techniques have become popular alternatives to partial meniscectomy when appropriate tears are amenable to repair.

All-inside techniques involve using specialized repair devices that are inserted into the knee joint through small incisions without need for additional incisions. Examples include the FasT-Fix 360 and the Meniscal Cinch systems. These suture-based devices can be used to repair longitudinal, horizontal, and radial tears. They allow for strong, secure fixation with knotless, self-cinching mechanisms.

For some tears, inside-out techniques may offer better anatomic repair. Examples here include the FasT-Fix and FASTak systems. These techniques involve passing suture limbs through separate incisions on the outer aspect of the knee and tying knots externally. While more technically demanding, they provide direct visualization and knot-tying outside the joint, allowing for precise, anatomic repair in some cases.

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