The arthroscopic treatment of displaced tibial spine fractures in children and adolescents using Meniscus Arrows®.

PURPOSE

This article summarises the results of a newly developed technique that utilises Meniscus Arrows(®) for the arthroscopic fixation of displaced tibial spine fractures in children and adolescents.

METHOD

Twelve tibial spine fractures in the knees of eleven children between 6 and 15 years old, with an average age of 12 years, were arthroscopically fixed with Meniscus Arrows(®), after a reduction of their fractures. This was followed by 5 weeks immobilisation in a plaster of Paris. Postoperative follow-up included radiographs, Lachmann tests on all of the children's knees and KT-1000 tests of eight out of twelve of the children's knees. The postoperative follow-up time ranged from 3 to 10 years, with patients being seen for an average of 4 years.

RESULTS

All of the fractures consolidated uneventfully, and all of the patients returned unrestricted to their previous activity level. The Lachmann tests revealed no, or a non-functional, laxity in any of the patients' knees. The KT-1000 tests showed a difference between the operated side, and non-operated side, of between 3 mm in the first knee operated on and an average of 1 mm in the remaining knees.

CONCLUSION

The arthroscopic fixation of tibial spine fractures using Meniscus Arrows(®) showed that this minimally invasive procedure resulted in the uneventful consolidation of all twelve of the fractures, with excellent results, and without the need for a second, hardware removal, operation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.