A biomechanical comparison of the Mitek RapidLoc, Mitek Meniscal repair system, clearfix screws and vertical PDS and Ti-Cron sutures

Abstract The aim of this in vitro study was to measure and compare the biomechanical properties and mode of failure of the five different methods of meniscal repair. Reproducible tears were created in 50 bovine medial menisci and repaired in a standardized fashion with one of the following devices: the RapidLoc meniscal repair device (Mitek Products, Westwood, MA), an 8 mm Mitek meniscal repair system (Mitek Products, Westwood, MA), Clearfix screw (Innovasive Devices, Marlborough, MA), a single vertical mattress suture of 2–0 Ti-Cron (Ethicon, Massachusetts) and a vertical mattress suture of No. 1 PDS II (Johnson and Johnson Int.). The repairs were tested by single cycle load to failure in a materials testing machine. The mean loads to failure for each of the repair groups were as follows: Mitek RapidLoc 44.9 N, Mitek meniscal repair system 20.3 N, Clearfix screw 37.4 N, vertical Ti-Cron 66.1 N and vertical PDS suture 103.0 N. The mean load to failure was significantly greater with PDS vertical sutures than with other techniques ( P P