Purpose
To systematically review the literature of return-to-sport outcomes following all-inside
meniscus repair and evaluate whether concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
(ACLR) influenced these outcomes.
Methods
A systematic review of the MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Registry of Systematic
Reviews databases was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two reviewers examined all literature pertaining
to sport outcomes following all-inside meniscal repair. Studies were included if they
had a 12-month minimum follow-up and reported return to sport rate, Tegner, or Knee
injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Sport outcomes. Studies with meniscal
repair techniques other than the all-inside technique were excluded. Studies were
not excluded if they contained patients receiving concomitant ACLR. Study quality
was evaluated with the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies.
Results
Nineteen studies comprising 872 patients were included in this investigation. The
weighted average patient age was 28.7 (range 14.1-42.1) years, and the weighted average
follow-up was 56.0 (range 18.0-155.0) months. The mean Methodological Index for Nonrandomized
Studies score was 14.4 ± 3.7. Ten investigations reported both preoperative (range
2.3-3.5) and postoperative (range 4.0-7.3) Tegner outcomes, with scores at final follow-up
greater in each of the 10 reporting investigations. KOOS Sport outcomes were examined
in 5 investigations, with scores at follow-up ranging from 63.6 to 91. Three studies
reported a return to sport rate ranging from 89.6 to 90% at follow-up. Four investigations
compared sport-related outcomes between isolated meniscal repair and meniscal repair
with concomitant ACLR. Two such studies reported no difference between the 2 cohorts,
1 favored the isolated cohort, and 1 favored the combined cohort.
Conclusions
This systematic review found a 90% return-to-sport rate and high postoperative activity
level following all-inside meniscal repair, as assessed by KOOS Sport and Tegner activity
scales. Further, concurrent ACLR did not significantly affect these outcomes.
Level of Evidence
IV, systematic review of level I-IV studies.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 19, 2021
Accepted:
February 21,
2021
Received:
September 21,
2020
Footnotes
The authors report the following potential conflicts of interest or sources of funding: B.J.C. reports other from Aesculap, National Institutes of Health , and Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine; personal fees from OSSIO; personal fees and other from Regentis; other from Smith & Nephew; grants, personal fees, and other from Arthrex; and other from Elsevier Publishing, BandGrip, AccuMed, Encore Medical GE Healthcare , Merck Sharp & Dohme , Sportstek Medical, and Vericel, outside the submitted work. Full ICMJE author disclosure forms are available for this article online, as supplementary material.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America
