Surgical Technique for fixation of posterior root tears of the lateral meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in acute lesions: Short-term clinical outcome

BACKGROUND: Injuries of posterior lateral meniscus root (PLMR) are related to an acute trauma mechanism, which is commonly associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Many biomechanical studies have exposed the importance of the integrity of PLMR. There are several surgical techniques for its treatment, but is still controversial about which is the most appropriate, especially for combined injuries. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcomes of patients with a surgical treatment of PLMR tear combined with ACL rupture METHODS: Prospective case series. With patients who undergone repair of PLMR tears with ACL rupture, from 2016 to 2017 in a specialized hospital in Medellín city. Clinical evaluation it was determinate with Lysholm and IKDC (International Knee Documentation Committee) scores, before and one year after the surgical procedure. The paired sample t-test was applied to compare the results of the scores. RESULTS: Six patients with acute lesion of PLMR tear combined with ACL rupture received treatment with a variation in the transtibial fixation of the PLMR surgical technique. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the two scores before and after surgery (p=<0.05). In addition, no additional surgical interventions were performed in the follow-up time. CONCLUSION: The combined surgical treatment of PLMR and ACL injuries can be performed safely. This surgical technique provided an improvement in function, pain and activity level, which may help to delay the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee.