All-inside meniscus repair: a systematic review

Abstract

All-inside meniscus repairs are becoming more common with the invention of meniscal arrows, darts, screws, staples, and other suture devices. With the rising popularity of these new all-inside meniscal repair devices, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of various all-inside surgical interventions used in the treatment of meniscal tears. We performed an evidence based review of the outcomes of all-inside meniscus repair devices. Seventy-seven percent of identified studies were case series; 10% were retrospective comparative studies; 6.5% were prospective comparative studies; and 6.5% were prospective randomized studies. The failure rates ranged from 0 to 43.5%. We found no substantial differences in the failure rates among various meniscus devices. We also found no substantial differences in failure rates with length of followup. Given the paucity of randomized controlled studies comparing different all-inside meniscal repairs, no definite conclusions can be made regarding the difference in clinical outcomes of various all-inside meniscal repair devices.