BACKGROUND: Biologic augmentation techniques play a key role in overcoming the inherently reduced healing ability of horizontal cleavage meniscus tears (HCTs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical results and the healing rate of HCT arthroscopic repair, augmented with bone marrow venting or fibrin clot. METHODS: A total of 52 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for symptomatic meniscal HCT were included in this retrospective study. All patients received biologic augmentation in the form of either bone marrow venting (BMV group) or fibrin clot (FC group). The two groups were compared in terms of clinical symptoms and meniscal healing. Clinical evaluation was performed using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Lysholm score. Meniscal healing was assessed both clinically and via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in KOOS and Lysholm scores postoperatively (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the FC and BMV groups in the 2-year postoperative KOOS (P = 0.13) or Lysholm scores (P = 0.17). Meniscus healing assessment on 2-year postoperative MRI revealed an increased rate of grade III hyperintensity (34.48% FC group; 30.44% BMV group). Overall clinical failure was 9.6% and did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.64). CONCLUSION: Both BMV and FC augmentation methods of arthroscopic repair for meniscal HCT provide good clinical results with low clinical failure rates. Neither technique demonstrated superiority in terms of clinical results or healing rates.
Savvidis et al. (Tue,) studied this question.