ARTHROSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF MENISCAL INJURIES IN ADOLESCENTS: OUTSIDE-IN SUTURING VERSUS MENISCAL DART TECHNIQUE/ARTROSKOPSKO LIJECENJE OZLJEDA MENISKA U ADOLESCENATA: USPOREDBA TEHNIKE SIVANJA IZVANA-UNUTRA I MENISKEALNIH STRELICA

• Published in: Acta clinica Croatica (Tisak) 2020-09, Vol.59 (3), p.431
• Main Authors: Pogorelic, Zenon, Puizina, Ema, Jukic, Miro, Mestrovic, Jakov, Pintaric, Irena, Furlan, Dubravko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arthroscopy; Comparative analysis; Endoscopic surgery; Injuries; Joints; Knee; Management; Secondary data analysis
• ISSN: 0353-9466
• DOI: 10.20471/acc.2020.59.03.06

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and subjective outcomes of the meniscal dart technique in patients having undergone arthroscopic meniscal repair by comparing it with the outside-in suturing technique. From January 2006 until June 2017, case records of 37 patients having undergone arthroscopic meniscal repair were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups based on the technique used for meniscal repair, as follows: 18 patients in suture technique group and 19 patients in meniscal dart group. Each patient was analyzed for the following parameters: age, gender, mechanism of injury, side of injury and injured meniscus, injury localization regarding anatomic position, injury type and associated injuries. The patients that underwent meniscal repair were analyzed for type of repair technique, operating results and results of follow-up (Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups according to clinical outcomes except for anatomic injury localization (p=0.035). Median of operation time was 62.5 min in suture technique group and 70 min in meniscal dart group (p=0.184); median of hospital stay was 2 days for both groups (p=0.951); median of Lysholm score was 86.5 and 84.5 (p=0.651); and median of IKDC score was 81.05 and 81.6, respectively (p=0.986). Understanding the harmful impact of meniscectomy, arthroscopic meniscal repair should be attempted whenever possible. Our data support arthroscopic repair of meniscal tears, since both the suture technique and the meniscal dart technique are safe and successful in meniscal repair in children, with good long-term results and without important complications. Keywords: Meniscus; Meniscal repair; Children; Meniscal dart; Suture; Arthroscopy Cilj ovoga istrazivanja je bio analizirati klinicke i subjektivne ishode lijecenja u bolesnika operiranih zbog ozljeda meniska te usporediti dvije skupine bolesnika operiranih razlicitim tehnikama popravka meniska. Od sijecnja 2006. do lipnja 2017. godine u studiju je ukljuceno 37 bolesnika koji su lijeceni artroskopski zbog rupture meniska. Bolesnici su podijeljeni u dvije skupine ovisno o vrsti kirurskog zahvata: jednu skupinu skupinu cinilo je 18 bolesnika u kojih je meniskus sivan tehnikom postavljanja savova, a drugu 19 bolesnika u kojih su upotrebljene strelice za fiksaciju meniska. Svakom ispitaniku analizirani su sljedeci parametri: dob, spol, m