Late results following medial meniscectomy in an older population

We reviewed the cases of 101 patients who had an isolated medial meniscectomy after the age of forty-five years. Sixty-six patients were available for re-evaluation at an average of 10.8 years after operation. The patients were grouped according to preoperative radiographs. Patients with normal preoperative radiographs had a 90 per cent chance of having a good or excellent result, while patients with pre-existing moderate or marked degenerative changes had only a 21 per cent chance of a good or excellent result. The patient's age per se did not appear to affect the results, but pre-existing degenerative arthritis clearly diminished the quality of the result. Other causes of symptoms in the medial aspect of the joint, such as osteonecrosis, must be carefully excluded prior to meniscectomy in an elderly patient.