The Prognosis of Meniscectomy in Athletes

Abstract

This study analyzes patient participation in athletic activities after meniscectomy. Seventy simple meniscus lesions in 68 patients without ligamentous insufficiency were studied by means of a detailed questionnaire and clinical and radiological examinations. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 18.4 years, averaging 4.5 years. These cases are classified into two groups, depending on the intensity of athletic activities. Group 1 consisted of international class athletes and Group 2 consisted of both competitive and recreational athletes. None of those studied have given up sports following meniscectomy. Results were worse in Group 1 than in Group 2 in both clinical and subjective evaluation. In Group 1 volleyball players presented results worse than those of football (American style) players and wrestlers. In Group 2 there was no significant difference in results among athletes of various sports. We conclude that the results after meniscectomy are influenced by the quality and frequency of postoperative athletic activities.

Rehabilitation Approach Postarthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy of Medial Meniscus in an Elite Track and Field Sprinter: A Case Report

“…Although meniscectomy offers a faster return to sports with good short-term results, the long-term risk of osteoarthritis must be weighed during selection of patient (29,34). Too much athletic and/or sports activity too soon after surgery may lead to worse subjective and clinical outcomes, therefore, rehabilitation planning should consider whether the benefits of early return to play outweigh the risk of costs associated with a higher likelihood of degenerative joint changes in the future (35)(36)(37). Predictors for poor clinical outcomes after APM include chronic symptoms (>12 months), knee osteoarthritis at baseline (radiographic), degenerative meniscus tears, preexisting chondral lesions, peripheral meniscus rim removal, resection of >50% of the meniscus, and ACL deficiency (38,39).…”

Rapid chondrolysis after arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy in athletes: a case report

“…Further to this, the continuation of strenuous sports activities afterward seems to lead to persistent symptoms of pain and joint effusion. Hoshikawa et al [9] concluded that the results after meniscectomy were influenced by the quality and frequency of postoperative athletic activities. The pathogenesis of our case is also unknown as our result.…”

“…Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy also allows athletes to return to their sports activities with better functional results than the previously used open meniscectomy had allowed [11, 13, 16, 19, 20]. Nevertheless, some athletes have been forced to decrease their sports activities after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy [2, 9]. Bonneux and Vandekerckhove [2] followed 31 knees of arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy after an average of 8 years and reported that the average of Tegner activity score [21] they treated dropped from 7.2 (competitive sports) to 5.7 (recreational sports).…”

“…Lysholm et al concluded that the results of arthroscopic meniscectomy in athletes are good with a short rehabilitation period [13]. However, although a large majority of athletes seems to be able to return to their sports activities with good performance, there have been some athletes who have reported persistent knee pain after arthroscopic meniscectomy leading to a decline in their sports activities [2, 9].…”

Reduced degenerative articular cartilage changes after meniscal allograft transplantation in sheep

“…Many experimental and clinical studies have documented the deleterious effect of meniscectomy on the knee joint, and it has been demonstrated that a high incidence of degenerative arthritis follows total meniscectomy [1, 13,17,20]. Current meniscal surgery is aimed at preserving as much meniscal tissue as possible, which includes repair in the appropriate regions of the meniscus, rather than resection [10,15,16,25].…”