Increased rates of knee arthroplasty and cost of patients with meniscal tears treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus non-operative management

ConclusionCompared to non-operative treatment for meniscal tears, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is more expensive and does not appear to decrease the rate of progression to knee arthroplasty. Patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy yielded on average a delay of only 9  months (274 days) before undergoing knee arthroplasty. Female patients experienced a significantly higher rate of progression to knee arthroplasty. The authors recognize the limitations of this type of study including its retrospective nature, reliance upon accurate coding and billing information , and the inability to determine whether symptoms including mechanical locking played a role in the decision to perform an APM.Level of evidenceIV.
Source: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research