ARTHROSCOPIC MENISCAL REPAIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION - FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALING RATE

Ninety-eight of 121 consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopy-ass isted meniscal repair in combination with anterior cruciate ligament r econstruction were evaluated by second-look arthroscopy with an averag e interval of 16 months (range, 6 to 63 months). Of the 98 meniscal re pairs, 73 had completely healed, 13 had incompletely healed, and 12 ha d not healed. Six possible factors that may have affected the healing of the repaired menisci were statistically analyzed. There were no sta tistically significant differences between the three groups with respe ct to sex, age, tear site on the medial or lateral meniscus, or residu al anterior laxity as measured using the KT-1000. The factors that had a statistically significant impact on healing rate were the rim width and meniscal locking. Negative correlations with the healing rate wer e observed in menisci that were repaired in the central third zone and that had been locked or could be locked by probing at the time of sur gery.