[Arthroscopic meniscectomy. Comparison of the functional results of meniscectomy in patients above and under 45 years of age. Apropos of 107 cases].

A comparative retrospective study of 107 cases of arthroscopic meniscectomies performed between December 1985 and December 1988 on 52 operated patients under 45 (P1 = 54 knees) and 52 operated patients over 45 (P2 = 53 knees). Those two populations have been selected among 292 isolated meniscal lesions files (without anterior cruciate ligament tear) operated for arthroscopic meniscectomy between 1985 and 1988. There were 81 medial meniscus lesions, 16 lateral meniscus lesions and 10 bi-meniscal lesions. The follow-up was for 1 to 5 years with a score of 70.3 per cent functional satisfactory results for the above 45 years (P2) and a score of 89.4 per cent below 45 (P1). Regarding the medial meniscus lesions only, we count 76 per cent (P2) satisfactory results versus 87.5 per cent (P1). This assessment can be easily explained by the variety of meniscal lesions (8 degenerative meniscal lesions among P2 namely 15 per cent), by associated cartilage lesions of the medial compartment of the knee (medial condyle: P2 = 37.75 per cent, medial tibial plateau: P2 = 41.5 per cent) and by genu varum deformity. However, in spite of this significant statistical difference (alpha < 0.05), we don't think we should condemn the arthroscopic meniscectomy over 45: the morbidity is very low and if some patients were not cured, the majority of them said that they improved after the operation. The cartilaginous degenerations of the medial compartment, discovered during arthroscopy, in a context of genu varum, don't need any tibial osteotomy at first, especially if they are asymptomatic and without tibia varum.