Please select the arm or intervention descriptions that belong to the clinical trial below.
Title: The Benefit of Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy in Middle-Aged Patients - A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo (Sham) Controlled Multi-Centre Trial
Brief Summary: BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the knee is one of the most affected joints. The meniscus plays an important role in the development of knee OA. It is unclear whether a degenerative meniscus tear is a risk factor in developing knee OA or a sign of the disease. The standard treatment for a degenerative meniscus tear is an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM). There is strong evidence that this puts the knee at high risk of later developing OA. Earlier studies have shown a significant placebo effect from surgical procedures, in general, and an arthroscopic knee procedure, in particular.

PURPOSE The overall purpose of this study is to gather information that might lead to a reduction in the development of OA in middle-aged patients. The investigators hypothesise that the benefit from an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is due to the placebo effect measured on self-reported outcomes, and that the meniscectomy contributes to the development of knee OA as seen on radiography.

METHODS The investigators will include 100 patients aged from 35 to 55 years with an MRI-confirmed medial meniscus tear and without knee OA (excluding patients with Grade 3 or 4 knee OA on the Kellgren-Lawrence classification). Participants will be randomised to either a standard APM procedure or a sham procedure and both groups will receive standard post-operative care. The primary outcomes will be a self-reported questionnaire, the KOOS score, and a functionality test after 3 and 24 months.


Options:
A: Arm Label: Arthroscopy; Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Procedure: Knee arthroscopy | Arm Label: Exercise therapy; Type: NO_INTERVENTION; Interventions: N/A | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Knee arthroscopy; Assigned to Arm(s): Arthroscopy
B: Arm Label: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy; Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Procedure: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy | Arm Label: Arthroscopy (diagnostic); Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Procedure: Arthroscopy (diagnostic) | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy; Assigned to Arm(s): Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Arthroscopy (diagnostic); Assigned to Arm(s): Arthroscopy (diagnostic)
C: Arm Label: Surgical; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Procedure: Arthroscopic partial menisectomy, Other: Postoperative rehabilitative physical therapy | Arm Label: Nonoperative; Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Other: Standard physical therapy | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Arthroscopic partial menisectomy; Assigned to Arm(s): Surgical | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Standard physical therapy; Assigned to Arm(s): Nonoperative | Intervention Type: OTHER; Name: Postoperative rehabilitative physical therapy; Assigned to Arm(s): Surgical
D: Arm Label: APM group; Type: EXPERIMENTAL; Interventions: Procedure: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy | Arm Label: Sham group; Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR; Interventions: Procedure: Sham procedure | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy; Assigned to Arm(s): APM group | Intervention Type: PROCEDURE; Name: Sham procedure; Assigned to Arm(s): Sham group

Answer: D