Ligament repair in the knee with preservation of the meniscus.

In early surgical repair of forty acute ruptures of the medial ligament of the knee in patients sixteen to twenty-four years old, the meniscus was resutured when it was avulsed from the bone and was excised only when there was central disruption (three knees). Follow-up of one to six years in thirty-six patients whose menisci were preserved showed that thirty-three had no limitations due to knee impairment. Twenty-six patients were re-examined; sixteen had no medial instability and twenty-one had no anterior rotatory instability. We concluded that in the absence of significant advantage from meniscectomy, an intact meniscus should not be removed.