Knee Capsule Repair Surgical Technique

Meniscal extrusion, which results in compromised load-bearing function of the medial meniscus, is increasingly being recognized as clinically significant.¹ One cause of medial meniscal extrusion is insufficiency of the medial capsule and meniscotibial ligaments (MTL). Knee capsule repair is effective in reducing meniscal extrusion resulting from MTL insufficiency and thereby restoring the potential for improved load sharing across the medial compartment. The Knee Capsule Implant System was designed to facilitate reproducible repair of the medial capsule.

The degree of meniscal extrusion can be diagnosed clinically using dynamic ultrasound. When surgical intervention is indicated, perform an ultrasound immediately before diagnostic arthroscopy. Confirm meniscal extrusion and note the presence of meniscotibial ligament insufficiency, meniscal reducibility, and the anterior and posterior extents of the lesion.

^Reference

^{1. Berthiaume MJ, Raynauld JP, Martel-Pelletier J, et al. Meniscal tear and extrusion are strongly associated with progression of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis as assessed by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64(4):556-563. doi:10.1136/ard.2004.023796.}