Meniscal injury rate and its clinical outcome in the knee fracture dislocation

Treating fracture-dislocation of the knee is very complex and it is associated with several complications. Soft
tissue damages are very common and ignoring them may affect the treatment results. The present study aimed at evaluating the
incidence rates and the effect of meniscal injuries on the fracture-dislocation of the knee.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective-descriptive analytical study, 25 patients suffering from fracture-dislocation of the knee
with types II-V damages, according to the Moore classification criterion, underwent open reduction, fracture fixation, and meniscal
repair or debridement process. They were followed-up for two years.
Results: Anatomic reduction of articular surface was obtained in 95% of the cases. The joint range of motion (ROM) was near to
normal in 70% of the cases, 25% of the patients experienced functional ROM following manipulation, and 5% of cases required
quadricepsplasty. Meniscal damages were observed in all cases (100%). The mean Lysholm score was 65±3.2 in the patients who were
treated with meniscal debridement, whereas in patients who underwent meniscal repair, mean lysholm score was significantly higher
(76.4±4.6) (P=0.001). Painful knee was observed in 16 patients (64%), and the majority of patients who had their meniscus were
debrided.
Conclusions: Meniscal damage is observed in all cases with knee dislocation fracture requiring repair or debridement. Reconstruction
of the damaged meniscus plays an important role in the clinical outcome of patients.