Shuttling Technique for Directed Fibrin Clot Placement During Augmented Inside-Out Repair of Horizontal Meniscus Tears

More meniscus tears are being repaired because this has been shown to delay the onset of osteoarthritis compared with partial meniscectomy. However, there still remains a subset of tears that may be viewed as less amenable to repair due to poorer healing potential. Fibrin clots have been used to augment healing for meniscus tears located in avascular regions due to their potential to promote healing and ability to be easily prepared at a low cost. Placement of fibrin clots within a meniscus repair can be technically challenging. Here, we describe a technique for placing a fibrin clot within a meniscus tear site repaired with an inside-out technique. A passing suture through the tear aids to shuttle the fibrin clot into the tear site and is then secured within the tear by tying down the repair sutures around the clot. This technique is efficient, less technically demanding, and can be accomplished without additional specialized instruments.