Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Meniscal Repair Versus Partial Meniscectomy for Medial Meniscus Root Tears: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Ro KH, Kim JH, Heo JW, Lee DH · Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

The change in Lysholm score favoured repair (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.55 to 3.12) while the change in Tegner activity score did not separate (OR 1.21; 95% CI 0.65 to 2.24). Severe postoperative knee osteoarthritis (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.54) and reoperation (OR 0.05; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.19) were both less frequent after repair.

Population

Thirteen studies of primary arthroscopic repair or partial meniscectomy for a medial meniscus root tear, followed a mean of 33.5 months after repair and 47.2 after meniscectomy

Intervention

Meniscal root repair

Comparator

Partial meniscectomy

Limitations

Level IV, and the two arms were followed for different lengths of time, which by itself would move a radiographic endpoint. Full text was not retrievable.