All-Inside Repair Tethered to the Popliteal Tendon is an Effective and Safe Option For the Treatment of Unstable Lateral Meniscus Injuries
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate clinical outcomes, failure rates, and complications following all-inside lateral meniscus repair tethered to the popliteal tendon in patients with unstable lateral meniscus injuries. Methods: This retrospective case series included patients who underwent arthroscopic lateral meniscus repair tethered to the popliteal tendon using anchor-based all-inside device , with a ≥12months follow-up. Outcomes included failure and reoperation rates, complications, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Tegner scores. Patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) for IKDC was defined as ≥69.0. In patients with available paired preoperative and postoperative IKDC scores, improvement and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) achievement were assessed. Results: Forty-eight patients with a mean age of 30.9±10.9 years were included, with a mean follow-up of 35.1±13.2 months. Thirty-six patients underwent concomitant ACL reconstruction while 12 underwent isolated meniscal repair. Two patients required revision surgery for repair failure, corresponding to a 4.1% failure rate. No complications related to suture placement in the popliteal tendon were observed. At final follow-up, mean IKDC and Lysholm scores were 73.1 ± 16.9 and 84.5 ± 14.6, respectively, with 66.7% of patients achieving IKDC PASS. In the subset with paired IKDC data (n=20), mean improvement was 36.1±21.1points (p<0.001), and 85% achieved MCID. No significant difference was observed between pre-injury and postoperative Tegner scores. Conclusion: All-inside lateral meniscus repair tethered to the popliteal tendon represents an effective option for unstable lateral meniscus tears, with favorable short-to-midterm clinical outcomes and safety - exhibiting low failure rates, and no tendon-related complications.
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,500
OpenAlex ID: W7224110844