Editorial Commentary: Failure With Continuity: Redefining Healing With Meniscal Root Repair.

Abstract

The importance of the medial meniscus posterior root for preserving knee joint kinematics, joint contact pressures, and articular cartilage integrity is well recognized. Medial meniscus root repair generally is associated with favorable clinical outcomes and radiographic changes compared with conservative treatment or subtotal meniscectomy; however, second-look arthroscopy often reveals some laxity at the repair site. Even in this latter situation of "failure with continuity" of the meniscus root repair, there may be benefit in delaying progression of radiographic degeneration changes. Given that the displacement of the repair often occurs with premature rehabilitative loading, it is important to delay the progression of weight-bearing until adequate healing has occurred.