Journal article
Meniscal Repair in the Setting of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: 6-Year Follow-up Results From the MARS Cohort
The American journal of sports medicine, Vol.53(14), pp.3435-3445
12/2025
DOI: 10.1177/03635465251387333
PMCID: PMC12657664
PMID: 41220248
Abstract
Meniscal preservation has been demonstrated to contribute to long-term knee health and has been a successful intervention in isolation and in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The long-term results of meniscal repair in the setting of revision ACLR have yet to be documented.
To report the incidence of meniscal repair failures at the 6-year follow-up in a cohort of patients who underwent concurrent revision ACLR and primary meniscal repair.
Prospective cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
All revision ACLRs with concomitant primary meniscal repair cases from a multicenter group between 2006 and 2011 were selected. Six-year follow-up was obtained to determine whether any subsequent surgery had occurred since their initial revision ACLR. If so, operative reports were obtained, whenever possible, to verify pathological condition and treatment.
In total, 221 patients from 1234 revision ACLRs underwent concurrent primary meniscal repairs (18% of the cohort). There were 238 repairs performed: 173 medial and 65 lateral. The majority of these repairs (n = 181; 76%) were performed with an all-inside technique. Six-year surgical follow-up was obtained in 77% (171/221) of the cohort, or 189 of 238 (79%) of the repairs (136 medial, 53 lateral). The meniscal repair failure rate, defined as reoperation, was 16% (31/189) at 6 years. Of the 31 failures, 28 were medial (24 all-inside, 4 inside-out; 28/136 = 20.6% failure rate) and 3 were lateral (2 all-inside, 1 inside-out; 3/53 = 5.7% failure rate). Three medial failures were treated in conjunction with a subsequent repeat revision ACLR. Medial tears underwent reoperation for failure at a significantly higher rate than lateral tears (20.6% vs 5.7%;
= .01) and had a significantly shorter survival time compared with lateral tears (
= .02). No difference was found between the failure and nonfailure groups when it came to tear type, tear length, repair technique utilized, suture/implant type, or number of sutures used between the 2 groups.
Meniscal repair in the revision ACLR setting has a 16% failure rate at 6 years. Failure rates for medial tears (20.6%) were found to be higher than that for lateral tears (5.7%), which aligns with previous studies in both the revision and primary ACLR setting.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Meniscal Repair in the Setting of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: 6-Year Follow-up Results From the MARS Cohort
- Creators
- Jake A Fox - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterLaura J Huston - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterAmanda K Haas - Washington University in St. LouisJacquelyn S Pennings - Vanderbilt UniversityChristina R Allen - Yale UniversityDaniel E Cooper - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterThomas M DeBerardino - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioWarren R Dunn - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterBrett Brick A Lantz - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterKurt P Spindler - Cleveland ClinicMichael J Stuart - Mayo ClinicAnnunziato Ned Amendola - Duke UniversityChristopher C Annunziata - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterRobert A Arciero - UConn HealthBernard R Bach Jr - Rush University Medical CenterChamp L Baker III - Hughston ClinicArthur R Bartolozzi - University of Pennsylvania Health SystemKeith M Baumgarten - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterJeffrey H Berg - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterGeoffrey A Bernas - University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkStephen F Brockmeier - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterRobert H Brophy - Washington University in St. LouisCharles A Bush-Joseph - Rush University Medical CenterJ Brad Butler V - Investigation performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USAJames L Carey - University of PennsylvaniaJames E Carpenter - University of MichiganBrian J Cole - Rush University Medical CenterJonathan M Cooper - HealthPartnersCharles L Cox - Vanderbilt UniversityR Alexander Creighton - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillTal S David - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDavid C Flanigan - The Ohio State UniversityRobert W Frederick - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterTheodore J Ganley - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterCharles J Gatt Jr - Princeton UniversitySteven R Gecha - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterJames Robert Giffin - Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine ClinicSharon L Hame - University of California, Los AngelesJo A Hannafin - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterChristopher D Harner - The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonNorman Lindsay Harris JrKeith S Hechtman - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterElliott B Hershman - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterRudolf G Hoellrich - Slocum Research and Education FoundationDavid C Johnson - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterTimothy S Johnson - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterMorgan H Jones - Brigham and Women's HospitalChristopher C Kaeding - The Ohio State UniversityGanesh V Kamath - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThomas E Klootwyk - Methodist Sports MedicineBruce A Levy - Orlando HealthC Benjamin Ma - University of California, San FranciscoG Peter Maiers II - Indiana UniversityRobert G Marx - Hospital for Special SurgeryMatthew J Matava - Washington University in St. LouisGregory M Mathien - Tennessee Orthopaedic ClinicsDavid R McAllister - University of California, Los AngelesEric C McCarty - University of Colorado DenverRobert G McCormack - Fraser HealthBruce S Miller - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterCarl W Nissen - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDaniel F O'Neill - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterBrett D Owens - Brown UniversityRichard D Parker - Cleveland ClinicMark L Purnell - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterArun J Ramappa - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterMichael A Rauh - University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkArthur C Rettig - Methodist Sports MedicineJon K Sekiya - University of MichiganKevin G Shea - Stanford UniversityOrrin H Sherman - New York University Langone Orthopedic HospitalJames R Slauterbeck - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterMatthew V Smith - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterJeffrey T Spang - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCol Ret Steven J Svoboda - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterTimothy N Taft - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterJoachim J Tenuta - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterEdwin M Tingstad - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterArmando F Vidal - Steadman ClinicDarius G Viskontas - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterRichard A White - Fitzgibbon HospitalJames S Williams Jr - Cleveland ClinicMichelle L Wolcott - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusBrian R Wolf - University of IowaJames J York - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterRick W Wright - Vanderbilt University Medical CenterMARS Group
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The American journal of sports medicine, Vol.53(14), pp.3435-3445
- DOI
- 10.1177/03635465251387333
- PMID
- 41220248
- PMCID
- PMC12657664
- NLM abbreviation
- Am J Sports Med
- ISSN
- 1552-3365
- eISSN
- 1552-3365
- Publisher
- Sage
- Grant note
- NIAMS NIH HHS: R01 AR060846
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 11/11/2025
- Date published
- 12/2025
- Academic Unit
- Orthopedics and Rehabilitation; Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
- Record Identifier
- 9985027351102771
Metrics
4 Record Views