It is well known that meniscectomy leads to deterioration of the articular cartilage, since first reported by Fairbank in 1948. We studied articular cartilage changes after partial meniscectomy and meniscal repair evaluated by a second-look arthroscopy. Thirty-two menisci in 30 patients were studied. Chondral lesions were mostly found in the medial compartment before operation (70%), but after surgery deterioration rate of lateral chondral lesions (50%) was higher than medial chondral lesions (20%). The lateral compartment of the meniscectomy group became significantly worse in comparison to the meniscal repair group (67%). In a few cases, cartilage deteriorated even after lateral meniscal repair. No difference was found during both operations in the medial compartment (meniscectomy-17%, meniscal repair-21%)
Cartilage deterioration was often seen after lateral meniscal Surgery. This is probably because joint pressure supported by the lateral meniscus is higher than in the medial meniscus, and lateral meniscal repair prevents mobility of the meniscus. Cartilage changes after lateral meniscal repair must be looked for carefully.
