Publication:

Assessment of functional outcome of meniscal root repair using pull-out technique

Meniscal root tears (MRTs) are increasingly identified as an important contributor to knee dysfunction and early osteoarthritis when not managed appropriately. Arthroscopic transtibial pull-out repair has gained acceptance as an effective surgical technique aimed at restoring normal joint biomechanics. This case series evaluates the short-term functional outcomes following this procedure in a tertiary care setting in South India. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 20 patients who underwent meniscal root repair over a two-year period. Functional assessment was performed using the international knee documentation committee (IKDC) score and the visual analogue scale (VAS) before surgery and at 6-12 months follow-up. A statistically significant improvement was noted in IKDC scores, which increased from a median of 28.5 pre-operatively to 59.0 post-operatively (p=0.005). VAS scores showed clinical improvement, although statistical significance was not achieved (p=0.075). These findings suggest that transtibial pull-out repair is associated with favorable short-term functional recovery in patients with MRTs.