title: Total meniscectomy in adolescents: a 40-year follow-up.
abstract: We continued a prospective longitudinal follow-up   study of 53 remaining patients who underwent open total meniscectomy   as adolescents and who at that time had no other intra-articular   pathology of the knee. Their clinical, radiological and patient-reported   outcomes are described at a mean follow-up of 40 years (33 to 50).   The cohort of patients who had undergone radiological evaluation   previously after 30 years were invited for clinical examination,   radiological evaluation and review using two patient-reported outcome   measures.  A total of seven patients (13.2%) had already undergone total   knee replacement at the time of follow-up. A significant difference   was observed between the operated and non-operated knee in terms   of range of movement and osteoarthritis of the tibiofemoral joint,   indicating a greater than fourfold relative risk of osteoarthritis   at 40 years post-operatively. All patients were symptomatic as defined   by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. This study represents the longest follow-up to date and it can   be concluded that meniscectomy leads to symptomatic osteoarthritis   of the knee later in life, with a resultant 132-fold increase in   the rate of total knee replacement in comparison to their geographical   and age-matched peers.
authors.affiliation: Percivall Pott Rotation, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK. yiannispengas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Pengas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assiotis
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hatcher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McNicholas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult