Partial meniscectomy is associated with increased risk of incident radiographic osteoarthritis and worsening cartilage damage in the following year.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether partial meniscectomy is associated with increased risk of radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA) and worsening cartilage damage in the following year.


METHODS
We studied 355 knees from the Osteoarthritis Initiative that developed ROA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥ 2), which were matched with control knees. The MR images were assessed using the semi-quantitative MOAKS system. Conditional logistic regression was applied to estimate risk of incident ROA. Logistic regression was used to assess the risk of worsening cartilage damage in knees with partial meniscectomy that developed ROA.


RESULTS
In the group with incident ROA, 4.4 % underwent partial meniscectomy during the year prior to the case-defining visit, compared with none of the knees that did not develop ROA. All (n = 31) knees that had partial meniscectomy and 58.9 % (n = 165) of the knees with prevalent meniscal damage developed ROA (OR = 2.51, 95 % CI [1.73, 3.64]). In knees that developed ROA, partial meniscectomy was associated with an increased risk of worsening cartilage damage (OR = 4.51, 95 % CI [1.53, 13.33]).


CONCLUSIONS
The probability of having had partial meniscectomy was higher in knees that developed ROA. When looking only at knees that developed ROA, partial meniscectomy was associated with greater risk of worsening cartilage damage.


CONCLUSIONS
• Partial meniscectomy is a controversial treatment option for degenerative meniscal tears. • Partial meniscectomy is strongly associated with incident osteoarthritis within 1 year. • Partial meniscectomy is associated with increased risk of worsening cartilage damage.
Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, FGH Building, 3rd floor, 820 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. frank.roemer@uk-erlangen.de.|Department of Radiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Maximiliansplatz 1, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. frank.roemer@uk-erlangen.de.
Frank W
FW
Roemer
University of Arizona Arthritis Center & University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA.
C Kent
CK
Kwoh
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, S700 Biomedical Science Tower, 3500 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Michael J
MJ
Hannon
Department of Rheumatology, Royal North Shore Hospital and Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Pacific Hwy, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
David J
DJ
Hunter
Institute of Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
Felix
F
Eckstein
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, S700 Biomedical Science Tower, 3500 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Jason
J
Grago
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Robert M
RM
Boudreau
Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Klinikgatan 22, SE-221 85, Lund, Sweden.
Martin
M
Englund
Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, FGH Building, 3rd floor, 820 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Ali
A
Guermazi
D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012306:Risk; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries / Q000601:surgery*
Cartilage loss; MRI; Meniscus; Osteoarthritis; Partial meniscectomy