Meniscectomy is associated with a higher rate of osteoarthritis compared to meniscal repair following acute tears: a meta-analysis

Migliorini F, Schäfer L, Bell A, Weber CD, Vecchio G, Maffulli N · Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy

Across six studies reporting it at a mean of 48.0 (SD 14.7) months, advanced knee osteoarthritis was less frequent in the repair group (P = 0.0001), and the repair group also progressed to knee arthroplasty less often. Mean joint space width did not separate (P = 0.09), nor did IKDC (P = 0.2) or persistent meniscal symptoms (P = 0.8); the resection group had the higher Lysholm score (P = 0.02).

Population

Twenty clinical studies comparing repair and resection of symptomatic meniscal tears, 31,783 patients, mean age 37.6 (SD 14.0), mean 12.1 months from injury to surgery

Intervention

Meniscal repair

Comparator

Meniscal resection

Limitations

Level III meta-analysis of non-randomised comparisons, so allocation to repair or resection was clinical judgement throughout. The osteoarthritis result and the joint-space result point different ways, and the authors report both. Full text was not retrievable.