[Follow-up of arthroscopic meniscus operations with special reference to regaining work capacity]

Since chip camera, video and relevant instruments have been well established, we perform partial meniscectomy by this method. By doing this we are able to preserve the meniscus as an elastic stabiliser of the knee joint. Kohn worked out the significance of this meniscal saving procedure in his experimental paper dealing with the biomechanics of the meniscus. We analysed 109 partial meniscectomies of the year 1988, being the first results achieved by arthoscopic technique in our department. Because of the careful and meniscus-saving procedure we expected a shorter time of reconvalescence. The results showed on the one hand the dependence of the incapacity to work on the involvement of the knees and their exposure to stress during work. On the other hand, we learn that the relatively long incapacity to work is directly connected with the social insurance system. Wuschek and Glinz already pointed out this fact.