Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in lateral meniscus tears: A surgical evaluation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Knee Injuries

Background:

• Traumatic lateral meniscal tears are prevalent knee injuries.
• Limited outcome data exists for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) in low- and middle-income countries.
• APM is a common treatment for meniscal tears when repair is not feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term outcomes of APM for traumatic lateral meniscal tears.
• To assess improvements in pain, knee function, and quality of life following APM.
• To provide outcome data from a low-income country setting.

Main Methods:

• Prospective interventional study involving 30 patients (aged 18-50) with confirmed lateral meniscal tears.
• Treatment included APM and standardized rehabilitation.
• Outcomes measured using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Lysholm score, WOMET score, and Tapper-Hoover system.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in VAS (pain), WOMET, and Lysholm scores (p < 0.001).
• Mean VAS decreased from 8.63 to 0.53.
• Mean WOMET increased from 10.50 to 83.70, and Lysholm score improved from 7.40 to 84.70.

Conclusions:

• APM leads to substantial short-term improvements in pain, knee function, and quality of life.
• The findings support the efficacy of APM for symptomatic traumatic lateral meniscal tears.
• This study contributes valuable outcome data from a low-income country context.