Arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy in the older patient

We reviewed the cases of sixty-three patients who were more than forty years old when they underwent arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy. Thirty-five patients returned for clinical evaluation and another eight were evaluated by questionnaire and telephone interview. Over the thirty-five-month follow-up period, progressive varus deformity and medial joint-space narrowing were not observed. Of the twenty-seven knees in Group I (non-degenerative tears) that underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, satisfactory results were found in 96 per cent. Of the seventeen knees in Group II (degenerative tears) over-all satisfactory results were found in only 65 per cent. A history of pre-existing degenerative arthritis in patients with degenerative tears seemed to correlate with a less favorable outcome.