Editorial Commentary: Degenerative Meniscal Tear: Sojourn to the Oracle

Degenerative meniscal tears are prevalent and give rise to more than 400,000 arthroscopic partial meniscectomies annually in the United States. These lesions often occur in the setting of knee osteoarthritis and are generally regarded as a component of the tissue damage (to cartilage, meniscus, bone, synovium among others) that comprises osteoarthritis. A wide array of clinicians, ranging from orthopaedic surgeons to general practitioners, regularly encounter symptomatic degenerative meniscal tears, especially among patients with knee osteoarthritis. Clinical evidence suggests that initial treatment for these injuries should be nonoperative, with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy reserved for those whose pain persists despite physical therapy.