Giulio Maria Marcheggiani Muccioli, Margherita Serra, Maurilio Marcacci, Laura Bragonzoni, Andrea Benzi, Marco Rotini, Alberto Grassi, Stefano Zaffagnini, Zaffagnini, Stefano, Grassi, Alberto, MARCHEGGIANI MUCCIOLI, GIULIO MARIA, Benzi, Andrea, Serra, Margherita, Rotini, Marco, Bragonzoni, Laura, and Marcacci, Maurilio
Purpose: To present the results of a survival analysis of a series of 147 arthroscopic MAT procedures. Methods: One-hundred and forty-seven patients (117 males and 30 females) underwent arthroscopic MAT without bone plugs (82 medial MAT and 65 lateral MAT) using fresh-frozen, non-irradiated grafts. They were retrospectively reviewed at a mean of 4.0 ± 1.9-year follow-up. Mean age at surgery was 40.9 ± 11.2 (range 16.7–68.8) years; 70 patients (48 %) underwent combined procedures. Clinical evaluation was performed with KOOS, Lysholm and a 0–100 VAS for pain. Survival analysis was performed using two endpoints: surgical failure (revision procedure with direct relation to MAT) and clinical failure (revision procedure or poor Lysholm score, 50 or 25. Conclusions: MAT, eventually associated with other needed procedures, was able to significantly relieve pain and improve function of the knee joint at midterm follow-up, with a survival rate from 9.7 to 8.0 years based on failure criteria. Most additional procedures were done in the first 2 post-operative years. MAT eventually associated with other needed procedures could represent an effective treatment for post-meniscectomy syndrome. Level of evidence: Therapeutic study, retrospective case series, Level IV.