Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Repair Patients Exhibit Superior Clinical Outcomes Relative to Unrepaired Root Patients, And More Closely Approximate Gait Biomechanics of Healthy Controls
E.S. Mameri, F.F. Gonzalez, J.A. Gustafson, G. Leporace, L.F. Metsavaht, J. ChahlaObjectives:
This study compared gait biomechanics and patient-reported outcomes among patients with medial meniscus posterior root (MMPR) tears, MMPR repairs, and matched healthy controls.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional observational study, 58 knees were analyzed, including patients with unrepaired MMPR tears (n = 20), patients following MMPR repair (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 17). Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed using marker-based motion capture and force plates to assess knee kinematics and kinetics across the gait cycle. Patient-reported outcomes included IKDC, KOOS Jr, and pain VAS, compared using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey. Biomechanical group comparisons were performed using nonparametric tests for discrete variables and Statistical nonParametric Mapping for time-continuous data. Significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results:
MMPR tear patients demonstrated significantly altered (p<0.05) gait mechanics compared with controls, including reduced knee extension at midstance, increased knee adduction angles and moments, increased tibial external rotation, and pronounced varus thrust. In contrast, MMPR repair patients exhibited biomechanical patterns that more closely approximated healthy controls, particularly with respect to knee extension angle and late-stance knee adduction moment. Patient-reported outcomes were significantly better in the repair group compared with the tear group across all domains (p < 0.01), although scores remained inferior to controls. Time-continuous analysis corroborated discrete findings, demonstrating reduced pathological loading patterns in the repair group relative to unrepaired tears.
Conclusion:
MMPR repair is associated with more favorable clinical and biomechanical profiles compared with unrepaired MMPR tears, more closely approximating gait mechanics toward healthy individuals.