Trinion meniscal screw.

Abstract

All-inside meniscal repair devices require no accessory incisions, allow faster repairs, and are widely used. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro load to failure strength of one new recently released meniscal repair device. Using an established protocol, a vertical longitudinal tear 3 mm from the meniscus periphery was created in 15 porcine menisci and each tear repaired by a single 10-mm Trinion meniscal screw. This repair was pulled apart with loads parallel to the repair axis. Loads to failure and modes of failure were evaluated. The mean load to failure was 38.9 N (SD +/- 9.04) (range, 23.1 to 55.2 N). Two modes of failure were observed: puling out of the inner piece (6 of 15) and of the outer (peripheral) rim (9 of 15). No devices broke. The Trinion meniscal screw is a dual-head design made of trimethylene carbonate, poly L-lactic acid, and poly D, L lactic acid. Its load to failure is similar to other tested devices. The mechanisms of failure were consistent with other all-inside meniscal repair devices. The material properties of a repair device are only one indication of device performance and may not correlate with clinical results.