Quick Summary
This technique combines an implantable shock absorber with medial meniscal root repair to protect the medial tibiofemoral compartment and enable a faster return to weightbearing.
This article and the technique we discuss is focused on aiding younger, working-age patients with early medial compartment arthritis. This unique patient population has limited treatment options, which generally consist of either an osteotomy or arthroplasty. Another surgical treatment option involves unloading the medial compartment with an implantable shock absorber, known as the MISHA Knee System (this system is from Moximed in Fremont, CA). One use of this implant is for treating medial meniscal root tears (MMRTs). Left untreated, MMRTs can result in the rapid degeneration of the medial tibiofemoral compartment with high rates of conversion to arthroplasty. Although it’s important to address MMRTs surgically, recovery can be difficult for patients because they must adhere to 6 weeks of non-weightbearing. In this surgical technique, we combine an implantable shock absorber with a concomitant medial meniscal root repair in order to both protect the medial tibiofemoral compartment and enable a faster return to weightbearing.
The open access version of my article Medial Meniscus Root Repair with Implantable Shock Absorber Placement: A Combined Technique for Early Partial Weightbearing is now available online in Arthroscopy Techniques, where you can read the whole article and watch a short video.
