Partial or total meniscectomy: a comparative analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Knee joint biomechanics

Background:

• Meniscectomy is a common surgical procedure for meniscus tears.
• Different types of meniscectomy include total and partial procedures.
• Postoperative morbidity and functional outcomes vary between meniscectomy types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the postoperative morbidity and functional outcomes of total versus partial meniscectomy.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of partial meniscectomy in improving patient recovery and joint function.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 128 meniscectomy cases (89 total, 39 partial).
• Evaluation of postoperative complications, hospital stay duration, and crutch use.
• Assessment of subjective and anatomical functional results using defined criteria.

Main Results:

• Partial meniscectomy patients experienced shorter hospital stays and reduced crutch dependency.
• Total meniscectomy was associated with a fourfold increase in major postoperative complications.
• Partial meniscectomy demonstrated superior subjective and anatomical functional results across all evaluated criteria.

Conclusions:

• Partial meniscectomy is associated with significantly lower postoperative morbidity compared to total meniscectomy.
• Partial meniscectomy leads to better functional recovery and anatomical outcomes for patients.
• The findings support partial meniscectomy as a preferred surgical option for certain meniscus injuries.