Arthroscopic medial meniscectomy on stable knees

Abstract

We reviewed 74 partial medial meniscectomies in 57 patients with stable knees, to assess the long-term functional and radiological outcome. The International Knee Documentation Committee score and the residual laxity were assessed in both knees. At the time of surgery the mean age of the patients was 36 +/- 11 years and the mean follow-up was 12 +/- 1 years. All had a limited medial meniscectomy. The anterior cruciate ligament was intact in all cases. The meniscal tear was vertical in 95% and complex in 5%. The posterior part of the meniscus was removed in 99%. A peripheral rim was preserved in all cases. After 12 years 95% of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their knee(s). Objectively, 57% had grade A function and 43% were grade B. The outcome correlated only with the presence of anterior knee pain at final follow-up. In the 49 cases of arthroscopic meniscectomy for which there was a contralateral normal knee there was narrowing of the 'joint-space' in 16% of the operated knees. There was no correlation between this and other parameters such as age or different meniscal pathologies.

The Treatment of Non-Traumatic Meniscus Lesions

“…The prevalence of nontraumatic meniscus lesions is 31% according to the Framingham study (9). Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy has been the first-line treatment for these injuries for a long time (3,4,(10)(11)(12) and positive clinical outcomes have been demonstrated for this procedure in several cohort studies (10)(11)(12).…”

“…Since previous non-randomized studies have demonstrated benefits for a surgical treatment of meniscus lesions (10)(11)(12), we put forward the hypothesis that there is a subgroup of patients that benefit from surgery.…”

Stadiengerechte Therapie durch Meniskusresektion, -naht und -ersatz

“…Langzeitstudien zeigen jedoch, dass bis zu 95 % der Patienten auch 10 Jahre nach partieller Meniskektomie zufrieden sind, sofern das Kniegelenk bandstabil ist und zum Zeitpunkt der Operation keine wesentliche Arthrose bestand [14]. Das Ausmaß der radiologischen Veränderungen nach arthroskopischer Meniskusoperation ist von der Größe des entfernten Meniskusanteils abhängig [3,28].…”

Incidência e fatores de risco para fratura vertebral por osteoporose em idosos brasileiros da comunidade: um estudo prospectivo de base populacional. São Paulo Ageing e Health (SPAH) Study

“…Alguns relatos demonstram piores resultados funcionais de meniscectomias no gênero feminino, com aumento da predisposição ao desenvolvimento de OA radiográfica do joelho (17,18,70,74) . Justificam tal ocorrência com argumentos anatômicos e epidemiológicos observados nas mulheres: valgismo mais acentuado do joelho, menor força muscular, maior incidência de frouxidão ligamentar e maior prevalência de OA de joelho (51) .…”