Degenerative meniscal lesions: Conservative versus surgical management

Ibrahim Akkawi; Maurizio Draghetti; Hassan Zmerly

doi:10.23750/abm.v92i6.11195

Degenerative meniscal lesions: Conservative versus surgical management

Authors

Ibrahim Akkawi Villa Erbosa Hospital 50/2, 40129, Bologna, Italy
Maurizio Draghetti 1. Orthopaedics and Traumatology Unit, Villa Erbosa Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Hassan Zmerly 1. Orthopaedics and Traumatology Unit, Villa Erbosa Hospital, Bologna, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v92i6.11195

Keywords:

knee osteoarthritis ; degenerative meniscal lesions ; arthroscopic partial meniscectomy ; physical therapy.

Abstract

Degenerative meniscal lesions (DML) typically occur in middle-aged or elderly patients without any history of significant acute trauma. Its prevalence increases with age and are associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The most frequent orthopaedic treatment is arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) to relieve pain and functional deficit associated with DML. Nevertheless, several randomised controlled clinical trials recommed against APM as the first-line treatment for managing knee pain in patients affected by DML and no radiographic knee OA that should be reserved for cases of failure after 3 month conservative therapy or earlier in patients with signficant knee mechanical symptoms.

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