Time to Achieving Clinically Significant Outcomes After Meniscal Allograft Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) is a surgical procedure aimed at restoring knee function.
• Assessing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is crucial for evaluating the success of MAT.
• Understanding the timeline for achieving clinically significant improvements is vital for patient expectations and recovery management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the time to achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) after MAT.
• To identify risk factors influencing the achievement of clinically significant outcomes following MAT.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained MAT registry (April 2014 - May 2019).
• Inclusion of patients who completed PROs preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively.
• Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis with interval censoring to calculate MCID and PASS achievement rates.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (>50%) achieved MCID and PASS on most PRO measures within the first postoperative year.
• Workers' compensation status significantly delayed MCID and PASS achievement across most PROs.
• Higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with delayed achievement of MCID and PASS on several KOOS subscales.

Conclusions:

• Most patients experience clinically significant improvements in pain and function within one year after MAT.
• Workers' compensation status and elevated BMI are potential risk factors that may prolong recovery time after MAT.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering patient-specific factors in managing expectations and recovery following MAT.