Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of isolated meniscal repairs and the rate of return to competitive sports and compare them with the literature.The meniscus plays a role in shock absorption, load distribution, increases the contact surface, improves femoral-tibial congruence. The meniscal injury alters the transmission of loads, thus increasing the pressures of the femoral-tibial contact between 20 and 50%.Eleven patients with eleven meniscal lesions treated with isolated arthroscopic meniscal suture were retrospectively evaluated.

Inclusion criteria:

patient with isolated acute or semi-acute meniscal injury (0-6 weeks), competitive contact sport.Eleven patients (eleven knees), minimum follow-up two years. Ten men, one woman. Median age twenty four years (14-35).

Meniscal lesions:

four red-red zone and seven red-white zone.

Median time from injury to surgery:

four weeks (1-13). Ten patients returned to their sport at the same level. One patient return to sport but at a lower level.

The median time of return to the sport:

sixteen weeks (12-28).

Two dropouts of sport:

one patient after a second competitive season, for reasons not related to surgery; one patient suffered a re-injury that required partial meniscectomy.

Subjectively:

Very satisfied ten patients, regular one patient.

Complications:

loss of extension more than 5° one patient.

Pain:

climatic discomfort in three patients, pain with maximum training loads in one patient.Young patients with simple red-red or red-white lesions, operated on within the first six weeks from injury have excellent clinical results and return to contact sport at same level.

Level of evidence:

IV