Meniscal Tears (Meniscectomy, Meniscopexy, Meniscal Transplants/Scaffolds)

Meniscal tear are frequent, and produce marked morbidity both in sports and workplace. The most sensitive clinical diagnostic test for meniscal tears is joint line tenderness. Arthroscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of meniscal tears. However, MRI is preferable to diagnostic arthroscopy in most patients as it avoids the surgical risks of arthroscopy with high accuracy in diagnosing meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Several techniques have been proposed to optimize the healing of a repairable meniscal tear. However, the long term follow up of the different techniques is not well defined. Meniscal transplantation will likely provide short or medium term symptomatic improvement in knee function, based on subjective as well as objective measures, at least in the short term. At present there is no evidence to justify a meniscal reconstruction following an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.