Summary

The arthroscopic all-inside wrapping technique is effective and safe for treating lateral meniscus bucket-handle tears, offering a viable alternative option

Abstract

Purpose

Studies have investigated various repair techniques for meniscus bucket-handle tears (BHT). Most techniques involve meniscus fixation devices or inside-out repair. However, there are no reports on using the all-inside wrapping repair technique, which involves wrapping the torn meniscus, for lateral meniscus BHT. This study aimed to assess the clinical and radiographic healing rates of the arthroscopic all-inside wrapping repair technique for lateral meniscus bucket-handle tears (LMBHTs).

Methods

This retrospective study examined patients diagnosed with LMBHTs who underwent all-inside wrapping repair with or without anterior cruciate reconstruction between 2012 and 2021. Clinical follow-up was at least 2 years. Clinical healing was defined as no reoperation of LMBHTs following initial repair and the absence of symptoms related to the LMBHT during follow-up. Postoperative clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. At 6 months postoperatively, the healing of the repaired meniscus was evaluated using Henning’s criteria through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Thirty-four patients who underwent the described procedure were included. Two patients required reoperation for a re-tear of the BHT. The clinical healing rate was 94.1% at a mean follow up of 4.2 years. For the remaining 32 patients, the mean postoperative IKDC score was 83.7. On subsequent MRI at 6 months postoperatively, the complete and partial healing rates were 64.7% and 23.5%, respectively, and the failure to heal rate was 12.5% (including the two re-tear patients).

Conclusions

The arthroscopic all-inside wrapping technique is effective and safe for treating lateral meniscus bucket-handle tears, offering a viable alternative option