Book An Appointment
Meniscus Repair with new Fiberstitch
Dr. Garcia specializes in complex knee, shoulder and elbow sports surgeries. He has prepared a number of surgical videos below to help patients better understand their procedures. He is frequently updating his surgical video database so check back soon for further updates.
This video, titled "Meniscus Repair with new Fiberstitch," demonstrates an all-inside arthroscopic meniscus repair using the 1.5mm Arthrex FiberStitch device. The surgery is performed on a vertical tear of the medial meniscus.
The primary advantage of this updated device is its smaller needle profile, which causes lower tissue trauma, minimizes the size of the puncture hole in the meniscus, and reduces the risk of the suture pulling out through the tissue.
The key surgical steps highlighted in the video include:
- Tear Preparation: The surgeon first inserts a ball rasp into the knee joint to irritate and roughen the edges of the vertical tear. This intentional tissue abrasion stimulates a localized bleeding response, which is crucial for delivering healing factors to the meniscus.
- Suture Placement: Using the 1.5mm FiberStitch, the surgeon deploys an all-inside vertical mattress suture across the tear. Thanks to the smaller needle size and its precise angle, the surgeon can easily navigate into the tight posterior (back) corner of the knee joint. The small needle allows for secure fixation even for tears located very close to the outer periphery (capsule) of the meniscus.
- Tensioning and Compression: The system utilizes a dual-strand suture design. The surgeon carries out a primary tensioning step followed by a secondary tensioning step. This incremental tightening binds the two sides of the torn tissue together, achieving excellent compression across the gap.
- Knot Cutting and Stability Check: Once the suture is fully locked down, the excess trailing suture is cut clean. The surgeon uses an arthroscopic probe to physically pull on the repaired area. The check confirms that the meniscus is securely tensioned with no further gapping or movement.
- Biologic Augmentation: To wrap up the procedure, the surgeon utilizes a microfracture awl in the knee. Making these tiny punctures triggers a release of bone marrow elements and stem cells into the joint space, providing a biological boost to optimize the healing potential of the meniscus.
