title: Osteoarthritis of the knee after meniscal resection: long term radiographic evaluation of disease progression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence, incidence and progression of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a cohort of subjects with previous meniscectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 221 subjects (177 men and 44 women) with weight bearing knee radiography twice (assessment A and B) with a follow-up time ranging from 4 to 10 years. All subjects had undergone meniscectomy 15-22 years before assessment A. At assessment B the mean (SD) age was 60 (11) years. We assessed prevalence and incidence of OA, as well as progression of radiographic features over time. Radiographic OA was defined as approximating Kellgren and Lawrence grade 2 or worse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At assessment A, we found tibiofemoral radiographic OA in 107 subjects' index knee (48%) of which 41 subjects (38%) had bilateral tibiofemoral OA. At assessment B, the corresponding figures were 151 (68%) and 71 (32%). At assessment A, we found patellofemoral OA in 32 subjects' index knee (14%) of which 11 (34%) had bilateral patellofemoral OA. At assessment B, the corresponding figures were 51 (23%) and 19 (37%). There was an increase of the sum of joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteophyte grades in the tibiofemoral joint of 144 subjects' index knee (64%) and in the contralateral tibiofemoral joints of 79 subjects (36%). The corresponding progression in the patellofemoral joint was observed in 66 index knees (30%) and in 41 (19%) contralateral knees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, some 20-30 years after meniscectomy nearly three out of four persons had developed radiographic tibiofemoral OA and one out of four had developed patellofemoral OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Sunderby Central Hospital of Norrbotten, SE-971 89 Luleå, Sweden; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical University, WAM University Hospital, Żeromskiego 113, PL-90-549 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: przemyslaw.t.paradowski@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Paradowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Orthopaedics, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden; Research Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark. Electronic address: stefan.lohmander@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lohmander
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden; Clinical Epidemiology Research & Training Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Electronic address: martin.englund@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Englund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Knee; Meniscectomy; Osteoarthritis; Prevalence; Progression; Radiography