Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Repair Is Associated With Better Function But Persistent Knee Varus Thrust and Reduced Knee Internal Rotation During Gait

This cross-sectional study used 3D motion capture to compare gait mechanics and patient-reported outcomes among 58 knees: patients with unrepaired medial meniscus posterior root (MMPR) tears, patients who had undergone MMPR repair (mean 19.7 months prior), and healthy age-matched controls. Both the tear and repair groups showed abnormal gait patterns compared with controls, including increased varus thrust range of motion (repair 5.2° vs control 3.3°, tear 5.0° vs control 3.3°, P<.01) and reduced tibial internal rotation at loading response, but the repair group had significantly better function, less pain, and higher rates of meeting patient-acceptable symptom thresholds than the tear group.

AI summary · from the full text · reviewed by Pukhraj Gaheer, Medical Student, Queen's University before publishing

Why it mattersIt suggests that even after successful MMPR repair with good clinical outcomes, patients may retain biomechanical gait abnormalities linked to knee osteoarthritis progression, which could inform decisions about adjunct gait-modifying therapy or earlier surgical timing.

Presenting this at rounds? Start here

• ?Should patients who show persistent varus thrust after MMPR repair be offered adjunct interventions like gait retraining, bracing, or targeted strengthening to reduce their risk of knee OA progression?
• ?Does the finding that repaired knees still show abnormal internal rotation and varus thrust argue for earlier repair timing in symptomatic root tears, before compensatory gait patterns become entrenched?