Twenty patients who underwent open meniscal repair were evaluated by second look arthroscopy. An average age of the patients was 22.8 years. The time from repair to repeat arthroscopy ranged from 4 months to 5 years (average: 1 years and 7 months). The operative indications were 1) peripheral longitudinal tear, 2) no degeneration of the body, and 3) unstable tear over 1cm in length. All torn menisci were repaired by modified Humberg's method. Associated torn ligaments were also reconstructed when necessary. No patients except one had a symptom of the retear at second arthroscopy. Arthroscopic results were graded as follows: “healed” -no defect (n=18, 90%), “incompletely healed” -a partial defect without hypermobility (n=1, 5%), and “unhealed”-hypermobile defect (n=1, 5%). Out of 18 patients who were evaluated as healed, one had a retear of the repaired meniscus after second arthroscopy. Although this procedure provided good results, it is problematic that a longitudinal tear in more inner part can not be repaired in this technique.
