Arthroscopic Versus Conservative Treatment of Degenerative Meniscal Tear in Middle Aged Patients in Regard to Pain & Knee Function

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The study is prospective comparative study, conducted in Erbil teaching hospital on 60 patients, their age ranging between 40 and 60 years. All were clinically diagnosed to have degenerative medial meniscal tear then confirmed by MRI. Thirty patients were treated conservatively, thirty patients were treated arthroscopically.

Official Title
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Arthroscopic Versus Conservative Treatment of Degenerative Meniscal Tear in Middle Aged Patients in Regard to Pain & Knee Function: Comparative Study

Conditions
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Knee Pain Chronic

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Arthroscopic menisctomy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Atraumatic continuous pain in medial aspect of knee affecting daily activities, for more than one month despite the treatment of general physician. Grade 3 degenerative tear of medial meniscus approved on MRI. Exclusion Criteria: Meniscal tear due to trauma. Any rheumatologic knee disease. MRI showing ligament injury, loose bodies, tumors and osteochondral defects. Former surgery of knee and lower limb fractures in the last year. Knee joints with osteoarthritis graded 2 or more according to Kellgren-Lawrence scale (Kellgren and Lawrence, 1957) on weight-bearing knee x-ray. Lateral meniscus tear.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 40 Years
Maximum Age: 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Arthroscopic meniscectomy
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Conservative treatment<br>Use of medications, like analgesic, muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and local painkillers, depending on the patient condition, and physiotherapy, lifestyle and daily activity modification, patient education about positioning of the knee | |
| Other: Arthroscopic menisctomy<br> | Procedure: Arthroscopic menisctomy<br>* Arthroscopic medial menisctomy<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale | Lysholm Knee score scale has (8) parts (swelling, pain, squatting, support, stair climbing, limping, locking and instability). Score of 100 means no problems in knee. | All patients were reviewed and evaluated one year, by Lysholm score | 
| Visual analogue score | Ten points Visual Analogue Score scale used in order to meassure the severity of knee pain during the study. Zero meaning no pain while 10 meaning the most severe pain | All patients were reviewed and evaluated one year, by Visual Analogue score scales | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Degenerative meniscal tear, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, conservative treatment, medial meniscal tear