Clinical and Instrumental Assessment of Meniscal ROOT Tears Treated Through Suture to the Posterior Cruciate Ligament
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-50
SponsorIstituto Ortopedico Rizzoli
About this trial
The menisci are crucial for knee stability and functionality. Composed of fibrocartilaginous structure, they have an anatomical and biomechanical arrangement that makes them essential for load transmission and the prevention of osteoarthritis. Meniscal root lesions, known as "ROOT tears," compromise their protective function on the cartilage, leading to increased contact pressures between the tibia and femur and, over time, the development of osteoarthritis. Early diagnosis of these lesions is difficult and often the first detection is incidental. The subsequent challenges are significant due to a lack of pre-operative planning. A possible solution is a surgical technique involving arthroscopic suture of the posterior meniscal root along with the posterior cruciate ligament. This procedure does not require pre-operative planning and is applicable even in cases of incidental diagnosis.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age between 18 and 50 years at the time of surgery;
Male and female gender;
Patients undergoing surgical treatment for at least one year for "ROOT" type meniscal lesions using arthroscopic suturing to the posterior cruciate ligament;
Pre-operative MRI performed.
Disqualifiers
Patients no longer reachable;
Patients who refuse consent to the study;
Previous meniscectomy before surgery;
Previous ligament injuries before surgery;
Trial population
Patients will be recruited among all subjects with "ROOT" type meniscal lesions treated surgically with arthroscopic suturing to the posterior cruciate ligament (ROOT-PCL) from 1/1/2021 to 31/12/2025 at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute.
Trial design
Design model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Treatments tested in this trial
Not listed
Trial groups
No trial groups listed
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
RMN
The 3 Tesla MRI is the diagnostic test of choice used in common clinical practice to evaluate the healing of these lesions at 1 and 2 years of follow-up. The measured parameter is meniscal extrusion. The measurement is taken in millimeters at the coronal sections visualizing the medial collateral ligament, from the capsular margin of the body to the outer profile of the tibial plateau. The "ghost sign" and tibial plateau edema will also be looked for. The main limitation of MRI is related to the fact that it is performed non-weight-bearing, with the patient in a supine position.
Time frame
24 months after surgerySecondary outcomes
1
Weight-bearing ultrasound
Weight-bearing ultrasound is a method not commonly used in clinical practice but extremely useful in evaluating meniscal extrusion under conditions close to physiology. The measurement is performed in a static position with the patient standing upright with full weight-bearing. Once again, meniscal extrusion is measured in millimeters in the coronal sections visualizing the medial collateral ligament, from the capsular margin of the body to the outer profile of the tibial plateau. The strength of this method lies in its ability to replicate the biomechanical stress phenomena affecting the menisci during common daily activities, with the potential to detect lesions that would otherwise remain silent in a non-weight-bearing MRI.
Time frame
24 months after surgery2
Physical examination
A comprehensive assessment will include palpation to identify classic tender points related to meniscal pathology at the anterior, middle, and posterior joint lines. The presence of pain and the patient's overall health status will then be noted.
Time frame
24 months after surgery3
International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC)
The IKDC form evaluates knee function subjectively across three domains: Symptoms (including pain, stiffness, swelling, and locking), Sports and daily activities, and Current knee function compared to before injury. It consists of 10 questions focusing on symptoms, sports participation, daily activity difficulties, and current knee function. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better knee health: excellent (80-100), good (60-80), fair (30-60), and poor (0-30).
Time frame
24 months after surgery4
Lysholm Knee Score
It's a validated measurement scale that assesses knee functionality through 8 items, allowing to establish the knee's condition in relation to the functional demands of daily life activities. This assessment tool is used to evaluate surgical outcomes in patients who have undergone knee ligamentous or meniscal injuries. The final score is derived from the sum of various scores obtained across different items, ranging from 0 to 100. Scores are categorized into subgroups: Excellent (95-100); Good (84-94); Fair (65-83); Poor (\<64).
Time frame
24 months after surgerySponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov