Meniscal Implant May Ease Post-Partial Meniscectomy Pain

FRIDAY, July 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Patients receiving a meniscus implant rather than nonsurgical care may experience greater relief from persistent or recurrent pain following arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, according to a study presented at the combined annual meeting of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Association of North America, held from July 7 to 11 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Elliott Hershman, M.D., from Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists in Parker, Colorado, and colleagues examined whether a meniscus implant is superior to nonsurgical care for knee pain following partial meniscectomy. Changes in composite measures of knee-related pain, function, and quality of life were evaluated at two years of follow-up among 242 patients treated in two trials: a randomized controlled superiority trial and a single-arm implant-only trial. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was used to assess patient-reported knee pain, function, and quality of life.

The researchers found that for five of six KOOS subscales, the magnitude of improvement from baseline to two years was significantly greater in the implant group, including in the primary outcomes of KOOS Overall and KOOS Pain. Compared with the control group, significantly more patients achieved KOOS success in the implant group (63.4 versus 27.9 percent), with or without adjustment for baseline KOOS Sports and Recreation (both P < 0.0001). The implant group less frequently had treatment cessation through two years compared with the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (17.3 versus 10.5 percent; P = 0.19).

“Overall, the implant group experienced superior improvements and outcomes at two years compared to subjects receiving nonsurgical care alone,” a coauthor said in a statement.

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