Original Article

Meniscal repair using fibrin clot from autologous blood: description of the surgical technique

Chrysanthos Chrysanthou¹, Nikolaos Laliotis¹, Nikiforos Galanis¹, George Paraskevas², Michael Potoupnis¹, Fares Sayegh¹, George Kapetanos¹

1. Department of Orthopaedics, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessloniki, Thessloniki,Greece
2. Department of Anatomy and Surgical Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

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Keywords: Meniscus, Meniscus repair, Biological augmentation techniques, Surgical technique, Fibrin clot

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Abstract

The crucial role of the menisci in function and biomechanics of the knee has been increasingly recognized and well described during the past several years. Meniscectomy was a gold standard treatment for a torn meniscus. Reviewing the literature, shows that this procedure is deleterious for the chondral surface. In the last decades, orthopaedic surgeons give a battle to salvaging and repair a torn meniscus, when this is possible. Clinical studies have shown that the introduction of biological augmentation techniques has the potential to enhance meniscus repair especially in young active individuals. Fibrin clot is relative quick to reproduce and easy to use technique which promises encouraging results in repairing the torn meniscus and in the same time is considered one of the most cost effective solutions comparing with others. In this paper our aim is to present the surgical technique of preparation and use of the fibrin clot form autologous blood step-by-step in case series of 24 patients. However, despite the relative ease preparation of fibrin clot from autologous blood, the placement and stabilizing it into the gap of the meniscal rupture arthroscopically is challenging.

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