title: The effect of partial lateral meniscectomy in patients > or = 60 years.
abstract: To determine the benefit, if any, of meniscectomy in an older population, all patients > or = 60 years who underwent partial lateral meniscectomy were evaluated. Thirty-five patients (36 knees) were available for follow-up. The average patient age was 64.9 years. Patients were divided into two groups based on the degree of articular cartilage damage. Patients in group 1 had no damage worse than grade II and underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy only, while patients in Group 2 had grade III or IV damage and underwent arthroscopic debridement as well as partial meniscectomy. With an average follow-up of 36.8 months, the overall failure rate was 13.9%. Eighty-six percent of the patients reported the overall assessment of their knee as improved (94% and 80% in groups 1 and 2, respectively). While patients in group 2 tended to have less favorable results than patients in group 1, these results indicate that this procedure is warranted and that both groups benefited significantly from partial meniscectomy.
authors.affiliation: Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center, Jackson 39202, USA.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Treacy
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ruff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001182:Arthroscopy; D003646:Debridement; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries; D016896:Treatment Outcome