【Abstract】 Objective To compare the short-term effects of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in treating medial versuslateral meniscus injuries. Methods From January 2003 to January 2006, 207 patients with meniscus injury(without intraarticularligament injury) underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. The medial meniscus injury group included 115 cases, 50males and 65 females; aged 14 to 78 years(mean 46.9 years); 66 left knees and 49 right knees. Twenty-six cases had injury histories,the delayed time from injury to surgery ranged from 6 d to 6 months (mean 2.1 months). The lateral meniscus injury group included92 cases, 18 males and 74 females; aged 16 to 62 years (mean 41.1 years); 57 left knees and 35 right knees. Twenty-four caseshad injury histories, the delayed time from injury to surgery ranged from 9 d to 6 months (mean 1.9 months). Lysholm score systemwas applied and the scors of pre- and post-operation and were compared between two groups. Results The period of followupranged from 12 to 45 months (mean 31.5 months). In medial meniscus injury group and lateral meniscus injury roup, theLysholm score increased from 61.3±16.9 and 57.4±17.6 preoperation to 95.0±7.9 and 93.3±7.4 postoperation respectively. Therewas statistically significant difference between preoperation and postoperation (P lt; 0.01), and there was no statistically significantdifference between two groups（P gt; 0.05）. The excellent and good rates for function of knee joint were 97.39% (excellent in 107cases, good in 5 cases and fair in 3 cases) in medial meniscus injury group and 100%(excellent in 80 cases and good in 12 cases)in lateral meniscus injury group. Conclusion Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is a safe and effective treatment for meniscusinjury, there is no diference in short-term effects in treating medial versus lateral meniscus injuries.
Objective To investigate the clinical application of periosteal autograft in repair of cartilage defect caused by osteoarthritis of knee. Methods From 1996 to 1999, 36 knees of cartilage defect of knee joint in 28 cases were treated. In the operation, the cracked degenerative cartilage was removed before free periosteum from tibia was transplanted to repair the defect, and the meniscuses in 8 knees of the 36 knees were reconstructed. After operation, early continuous passive movement was adopted for 4 weeks, and 8 knees with reconstruction ofthe meniscus were immobilized by plaster splint for 7 days after operation and before passive movement. All of the cases were followed up for 1 to 4 years before clinical evaluation in symptoms, signs and radiological findings. Results The general satisfactory rate was 86.1%, in which the function was excellent in 22 knees and good in 9 knees. Conclusion The periosteal autograft is a good choice for repairing cartilage defect due to osteoarthritis, with a satisfactory outcomein the short term.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of meniscus suture on meniscus healing which included healing time and healing pattern. METHODS Fourty healthy rabbits were adopted in this study. The model of meniscus injury was made by a longitudinal incision at the medial meniscus of the left knee. The rabbits were divided into two groups, the experimental group was treated by meniscus suture and the control group was unsutured. After operation, the meniscus samples were collected periodically and observed by gross, light and electronic microscope to analysis the meniscus healing. RESULTS The injured meniscus was healed gradually and completely at the sixth week in the experimental groups. More fibroblasts and less fibrocartilage cells could be observed in the healed meniscus. Oppositely, there was no meniscus healing in the control group and the edge of injured meniscus was sealed by epithelioid cells. CONCLUSION The meniscus suture can accelerate the healing process of meniscus injury. Besides, early suture make the injured meniscus correctly positioned to ensure the normal healing process.
Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic simultaneous both anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and suture of the meniscus bucket-handle tear (BHT). Methods Between January 2013 and April 2014, 22 patients (22 knees) with ACL injury and BHT, who accorded with the inclusion criteria, were studied. There were 14 males and 8 females with a mean age of 30.68 years (range, 15-44 years). The left side was involved in 10 cases and the right side in 12 cases. Injury located at the medial meniscus in 14 patients, and at the lateral meniscus in 8 patients. The median of interval from injury to operation was 40 days (range, 9 hours to 4 years). BHT was sutured, and then single bundle reconstruction of ACL was performed under arthroscopy. Results All incisions healed by first intention, and there were no serious complications such as infection, vascular injury, and nerve injury. The patients were followed up for 26.7 months on average (range, 12-42 months). At 6 weeks after operation, one patient had limited motion of the knee, the function was recovered after release under anesthesia; and one patient had joint space tenderness, which was relieved after conservative treatment. The total effective rate was 90.9% (20/22). At last follow-up, the anterior drawer test, Lachman test, and McMurray test were negative in all the cases. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Tegner activity level score, and Lysholm score were significantly improved at 12 months after operation when compared with preoperative scores (P<0.05). At 6-12 months after operation, complete healing was obtained in 7 cases, and partial healing in 11 cases, and nonunion in 4 cases based on MRI evaluation criteria by Crueset al. There was no rupture of reconstruc-tive ligament during follow-up. Conclusion Arthroscopic simultaneous both ACL reconstruction and suture of BHT can improve the symptoms, reduce the risk of re-tear of sutured meniscus effectively, delay degeneration of articular cartilage, and maintain the stability of the knee joint.
ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic debridement versus non-operative treatment for degenerative meniscal tear. MethodsDatabases including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library (Issue 7, 2015), WanFang Data, CBM, and CNKI were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about arthroscopic debridement versus non-operative treatment for degenerative meniscal tear from inception to July 2015. The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. ResultsA total of nine RCTs involving 1 023 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that:there were no significant differences between two groups at different follow-up time points in knee scoring scale (less than 6 months:SMD=0.12, 95%CI -0.11 to 0.35, P=0.30; 1 year:SMD=-0.03, 95%CI -0.18 to 0.11, P=0.65; 2 years:SMD=-0.07, 95%CI -0.32 to 0.19, P=0.61) and pain score (less than 6 months:MD=0.30, 95%CI -0.10 to 0.70, P=0.14; 1 year:MD=0.10, 95%CI -0.40 to 0.60, P=0.70; 2 years:MD=0.02, 95%CI -0.52 to 0.92, P=0.90). ConclusionCurrent evidence suggests that arthroscopic debridement hasn't better effective than non-operative treatment for degenerative meniscal tear, however, due to the limited quantity of the included studies, the above conclusion still need more high quality research to be verified.
ObjectiveTo explore the association of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) degeneration with intercondylar notch impingement and the medial meniscus tear in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsBetween July 2014 and February 2016, 55 KOA patients (55 knees) with ACL degeneration (degeneration group) and 55 KOA patients (55 knees) without ACL degeneration (control group) were included in the study. No significant difference was found in gender, age, body mass index, and side between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The notch width index was measured on preoperative MRI to evaluate whether the intercondylar notch was narrow. The location of the medial and lateral meniscus tear and osteophyte of the ACL tibial insertion were observed under arthroscopy, and the incidences of the meniscus tear and osteophyte were calculated. ResultsThere was no significant difference in anterior horn and body tear of the medial meniscus and in anterior horn, body, posterior horn, and root tear of the lateral meniscus (P > 0.05). Significant difference was found in the posterior horn and root tear of the medial meniscus, osteophyte of the ACL tibial insertion, narrow intercondylar notch, and the notch width index between 2 groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of root tear of the medial meniscus was 53.8% (7/13) in 13 knees with osteophyte of the ACL tibial insertion and was 16.5% (16/97) in 97 knees without osteophyte, showing significant difference (χ2=9.671, P=0.002). ConclusionThere is a strong association of ACL degeneration with posterior horn and root tear of the medial meniscus and intercondylar notch impingement in KOA. And the high incidence of root tear of the medial meniscus in knee is correlated with osteophyte of the ACL tibial insertion.
Objective To measure and analyze the relationships among the posterior tibial slope (PTS), meniscal slope (MS), and meniscus posterior horn thickness (MPHT) of the medial and lateral tibial plateau in healthy people and patients with anteromedial osteoarthritis (AMOA) in Heilongjiang province, so as to provide reference basis for appropriate tibial osteotomy and prosthesis placement angles in knee joint surgeries. Methods A retrospective collection of imaging data from knee joint MRI examinations conducted prior to AMOA for various reasons was performed. A total of 103 healthy individuals (healthy group) and 30 AMOA patients (AMOA group) were included. There was no significant difference in the gender composition ratio, side, and body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05); however, the comparison of ages between the two groups showed a significant difference (P<0.05). The collected DICOM format image data was imported into the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer software and measured the medial PTS (MPTS), lateral PTS (LPTS), medial MS (MMS), lateral MS (LMS), medial MPHT (MMPHT), and lateral MPHT (LMPHT) with standard methods. The differences of the above indexes between the two groups and between different genders and sides in the two groups were compared, and Pearson correlation analysis was carried out. At the same time, the measured data of healthy group were compared with the relevant literature reported in the past. Results Compared to the healthy group, the AMOA group exhibited significantly smaller MPTS and LPTS, as well as significantly greater MMPHT and LMPHT, with significant differences (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the MMS and LMS between the two groups (P>0.05). The differences in various indicators between genders and sides within the two groups were not significant (P>0.05). The correlation analysis and regression curves indicated that both MPTS and LPTS in the two groups were positively correlated with their respective ipsilateral MS and MPHT (P<0.05); as PTS increased, the rate of increase in MS and MPHT tend to plateau. Compared to previous related studies, the MPTS and LPTS measured in healthy group were comparable to those of the Turkish population, exhibiting smaller values than those reported in other studies, while MMS and LMS were relatively larger, and MMPHT and LMPHT were smaller. ConclusionIn healthy people and AMOA patients in Heilongjiang province, PTS has great individual differences, but there is no significant individual difference in MS. MPHT can play a certain role in retroversion compensation, and its thickness increase may be used as one of the indicators to predict the progression of AMOA. The above factors should be taken into account when UKA is performed, and the posterior tilt angle of tibial osteotomy should be set reasonably after preoperative examination and evaluation.
Objective To evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of knee MRI at 90° flexed position for Ramp lesions of medial meniscus. Methods A total of 228 patients with knee pain as the main complaint who were admitted between September 2021 and September 2023 was selected as the research subjects, of which 51 patients met the selection criteria and were enrolled in the study. There were 31 males and 20 females with an average age of 38.6 years (range, 15-67 years). Body mass index was 17.2-28.7 kg/m2 (mean, 23.9 kg/m2). There were 25 cases of left knee and 36 cases of right knee. The time from injury to admission was 0.1-14.3 weeks (mean, 2.1 weeks). Preoperative knee MRI at fully extended position (knee extension position) and 90° flexed position (knee flexion position) were performed to determine the presence of irregular signs at the posterior edge of the medial meniscus, and PHMM fluid high signal [i.e. complete fluid filling between the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PHMM) and the capsule margin]. Findings obtained under arthroscopy served as the “gold standard” to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MRI at knee extension and flexion positions for the two specific signs of Ramp lesion.Results Twenty-one patients (41.2%) were diagnosed with Ramp lesions by using arthroscopy, including 1 case of Thaunat type Ⅰ, 2 cases of type Ⅱ, 6 cases of type Ⅲ, 7 cases of type Ⅳ, and 5 cases of type Ⅴ. The positive rates of irregular signs at the posterior edge of the medial meniscus on MRI at knee extension and flexion positions were significantly different from the diagnosis of Ramp injury under arthroscopy (P<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of MRI in the diagnosis of irregular signs were 76.1%, 60.0%, 66.7%, 57.1%, and 78.3% respectively at knee extension position, and 85.7%, 73.3%, 78.4%, 69.2%, and 88.0% respectively at knee flexion position. The positive rates of PHMM fluid high signal on MRI at knee extension and flexion positions were significantly different from the diagnosis of Ramp injury under arthroscopy (P<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of MRI in diagnosing PHMM fluid high signal were 38.1%, 100%, 74.5%, 100%, and 69.8% respectively at knee extension position, and 85.7%, 100%, 94.1%, 100%, and 90.9% respectively at knee flexion position. ConclusionKnee MRI at 90° flexed position improves the diagnostic performance of the detection of medial meniscal Ramp lesions compared with MRI at fully extended position.
Objective To elucidate the latest research progress and application of tissue engineered meniscus. Methods The literature concerning the advance in tissue engineered meniscus was extensively reviewed, then closely-related issues including seed cells, scaffolds, and bioreactors were analyzed. Results With more and more attention being paid to meniscus tissue engineering, different approaches and strategies for seed cells, scaffolds, and bioreactors have contributed to the generation of meniscal constructs, which are capable of restoring meniscal lesions to some extent, but translating successes in basic science research to clinical application is still limited. Conclusion More research for the optimal combination of the appropriate cell source, the scaffold type, and the proper physical and chemical factors for the stimulation of cells differentiation into tissue with optimal phenotypes in tissue engineered meniscus is still in needed, but the overall future looks promising.
ObjectiveTo discuss the MRI diagnostic criteria, classification and lesion characteristics of medial discoid meniscus of the knee. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of all patients who accepted MRI examination of knee from November 2009 to March 2015.Twenty-six of them (28 knees) with medial discoid meniscus were screened out.We measured and analyzed in all cases the ratio of the width of meniscus to that of tibial plateau on coronal slice, and the thickest thickness of the meniscus posterior horn on sagittal slice.All cases were divided into complete and incomplete type according to MRI findings, and then we compared the lesion rate of the two types of medial discoid meniscus. ResultsTwenty-eight cases were divided into complete type (n=16) and incomplete type (n=12);there were 17 cases of medial discoid meniscal tears, with a lesion rate of 60.7%.The ratio of the width of meniscus to that of tibial plateau on coronal slice was 0.29±0.06, and the thickest thickness of the meniscus posterior horn was (5.31±0.92) mm.The lesion rate of complete type was 81.2%, and 33.3% of the incomplete type.The lesion rate of the complete type was higher than that of the incomplete type, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). ConclusionsThree MRI diagnostic criteria for medial discoid meniscus are 3 or more than 3 consecutive layers discoid meniscus "tie-like" change in sagittal slice, the ratio of the width of meniscus to that of tibial plateau≥0.20, and the thickest thickness of the meniscus posterior horn≥4.40 mm.Medial discoid meniscuses are divided into complete and incomplete type; the lesion rate of complete type of medial discoid meniscus is higher than that of the incomplete type.