Arthroscopic Suturing of Meniscal Injuries With and Without the use of a Fibrin Clot A Comparative Study

Abstract

In view of the importance of the meniscal functions, its no longer believed that the meniscus is a vestigial organ that can be removed with impunity. The position and vulnerability of the menisci in an area of rapidly changing torque, shear, and compressive forces reflects on their complex functions and importance.

The blood supply of the menisci is confined to the outer 113 of the menisci. It is the main factor affecting the success of meniscal repair. Meniscal injuries occurring with rim widths up to Smm can be repaired.

The meniscal architecture is formed of a superficial layer composed of a network of fine fibrils woven into a meshlike matrix, a surface layer just beneath the first layer composed, in part, of irregularly aligned collagen bundles, and a middle layer in which the collagen fibers are lager coarse, and oriented in a parallel, circumferential direction. It is this middle layer that allows the meniscus to resist tensile forces and function as a transmitter of load across the knee joint.