All-inside ramp lesion repair via anterior portals and pie-crusting: Excellent outcomes and survivorship at one-year follow-up

Abstract

Background: Ramp lesions, located in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus, are commonly associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and contribute to knee instability if untreated. Traditional repair methods use posteromedial portals, but newer approaches, such as the all-inside technique through anterior arthroscopic portals with pie-crusting of the posterior oblique ligament (POL), offer improved access and reduced morbidity. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes, return-to-sport rates, and failure rates of this technique compared to established methods.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis included 54 patients (mean age: 29.1 years) who underwent ramp lesion repair using the all-inside technique between January 2019 and December 2022. Clinical outcomes were evaluated with the IKDC score, Lysholm score, and Tegner activity scale. Failure was defined as the need for revision surgery.

Results: At a mean follow-up of 30.7 months, patients had a mean IKDC score of 81.5 ± 7.1 and Lysholm score of 94.5 ± 7.4. The Tegner activity scale declined slightly from 7.2 ± 1.2 preoperatively to 6.8 ± 1.3 postoperatively. All patients returned to sport within 9.2 ± 2.5 months, with a failure rate of 12.9 % and an average revision time of 13.1 ± 8.2 months.

Conclusion: The all-inside technique for ramp lesion repair via anterior portals provides excellent clinical outcomes and return-to-sport rates, with failure rates comparable to other methods. This minimally invasive approach offers improved access, reduced morbidity, and a reliable option for managing ramp lesions in ACL-injured patients.

Level of evidence: IV.

Keywords: All-inside; Arthroscopy; Meniscus; Ramp lesion; Repair; return to sport.