Current evidence suggests limiting arthroscopic meniscectomy to those patients with no or early arthritis however outcomes of arthroscopic meniscectomy with patients of a higher body mass index (BMI) are not as widely available. The aim of this study was to determine if patient reported outcome scores for arthroscopic meniscectomy are adversely affected by the degree of knee osteoarthritis or patient BMI.
All patients who underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy within the NHS in Scotland between the 6th of February and 29th of April 2012 were audited as part of the Scottish Government Musculoskeletal Audit and were eligible for inclusion within this study. A total of 270 patients returned both their pre-operative and post-operative EuroQol 5Q5D5L descriptive questionnaire and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Scores. Patients were stratified according to BMI, degree of osteoarthritis, history of injury, and duration of knee symptoms.
Pre-operative to post-operative EuroQol index scores [0.642±0.253 to 0.735±0.277, median±SD] and Knee injury and Osteoarthrtis Outcome Scores [44.63±18.78 to 62.28±24.94, median±SD] improved across all patients (p<0.0001). This was irrespective of degree of BMI, history of injury, or duration of symptoms. There was no such improvement in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis. Those patients with a BMI >35 kg/m2 had lower post-operative scores than the pre-operative scores of those of BMI <30 kg/m2.
Arthroscopic meniscectomy is beneficial regardless of patient BMI, duration of symptoms, history of injury, or in the presence of early osteoarthritis.