Outcomes of Arthroscopic All-Inside Repair Versus Observation in Older Patients With Meniscus Root Tears

Dragoo JL, Konopka JA, Guzman RA, Segovia N, Kandil A, Pappas GP · The American Journal of Sports Medicine

Total knee arthroplasty followed in 3.3% of the repaired knees and 33.3% of the observed knees (P = 0.008). The repaired group improved from baseline on every KOOS subscale, Lysholm, Tegner and VR-12 physical scores, while the observed group improved only on KOOS Pain, KOOS Function in Daily Living and VR-12 physical. Baseline KOOS Symptoms and Knee-Related Quality of Life were lower in the group that went on to be repaired.

Population

48 knees with a posterior meniscus root tear and moderate knee osteoarthritis (mean Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2), followed a mean of 4.4 years — 30 repaired, 18 observed

Intervention

All-inside root repair re-tensioning the meniscus to its remnant

Comparator

Nonoperative observation

Limitations

48 knees, not randomised, and the two groups differed at baseline in the direction that flatters the repair arm's improvement scores — the repaired knees started worse and so had further to travel. The arthroplasty gap is large enough to be interesting and is drawn from 18 observed patients. Full text was not retrievable.