Abstract
The results after meniscectomies were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups according to their activities. Group A consisted of 23 patients under thirty at the time of surgery, while 28 patients over thirty were classified as Group B. The mean age at surgery was 15.8 years in Group A and 44.5 years in Group B. The mean duration of follow-up was 5.4 years and 7.0 years in Group A and Group B, respectively.
The clinical results and roentogenographic findings in Group A were compared with those of Group B. In Group A, the clinical results were excellent, independent of quadriceps muscle atrophy and roentogenographic findings at follow-up. But in Group B, the clinical results were directly related to these factors. The surgeon should therefore take pre-existing degenerative arthritis into consideration before perfoming a meniscectomy on a relatively aged patient. The long-term results of meniscectomies in young patients should also be further investigated.
