[Late results following meniscectomy].

In a retrospective study a total of 227 women and men between 24 and 79 years of age who had undergone meniscectomy at the State Orthopedic Clinic of Munich between 1958 and 1975 were reexamined clinically and radiologically in order to determinate late effects of surgery. Of 149 patients with an uncomplicated subtotal meniscectomy 35% showed an unsatisfactory subjective result while 62% were continuously free of symptoms regarding their operated knee. Including constitutional factors degenerative changes in the knee occurred in 50%, 34% of the total of 149 showing severe radiologic changes of grade 2 and 3. The roentgenographic changes in the knee correlated frequently with the subjective result. The frequency of degenerative arthritis in the follow-up investigation was significantly higher for patients with preoperative osteoarthritis than in those without. Some other factors seemed to have no bearing on the longterm effect of meniscectomy. The procedure of subtotal meniscectomy proved to be an important factor for degenerative arthritis. Arthroscopic and meniscus healing techniques require further examination of longterm results.