Comparison of open and endoscopic meniscectomy

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Meniscal tears are common knee injuries requiring surgical intervention.
• Conventional open meniscectomy has been the standard treatment.
• Arthroscopic meniscectomy offers a less invasive alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of arthroscopic meniscectomy with conventional open meniscectomy.
• To evaluate functional recovery, hospitalization, and sick leave duration.
• To assess the cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic meniscectomy.

Main Methods:

• A matched-pair study design comparing 29 patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy with 29 patients undergoing open meniscectomy.
• Exclusion of patients with ligamentous injuries.
• Follow-up evaluation of knee function scores and post-operative recovery metrics.

Main Results:

• Arthroscopic meniscectomy resulted in shorter operating times and significantly reduced post-operative hospital stays (1 day vs. 3.3 days).
• Patients undergoing arthroscopic procedures experienced one-third the sick leave duration compared to the open surgery group.
• Knee function scores at long-term follow-up (mean 38 months) were similar between the arthroscopic (88.7 points) and open (85.3 points) groups.

Conclusions:

• Arthroscopic meniscectomy provides satisfactory knee function outcomes comparable to open meniscectomy.
• The advantages of arthroscopic surgery include decreased hospitalization, shorter sick leave, and reduced patient care costs.
• Arthroscopic meniscectomy is a viable and cost-effective alternative for treating meniscal lesions.