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Patient reported outcomes in patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic or degenerative meniscal tears : comparative prospective cohort study

Thorlund, Jonas Bloch ; Englund, Martin LU orcid ; Christensen, Robin ; Nissen, Nis ; Pihl, Kenneth ; Jørgensen, Uffe ; Schjerning, Jeppe and Lohmander, L Stefan LU orcid (2017) In BMJ 356.
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To compare patient reported outcomes from before surgery to 52 weeks after surgery between individuals undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic meniscal tears and those for degenerative meniscal tears.

DESIGN: Comparative prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Four public orthopaedic departments in the Region of Southern Denmark. Participants were recruited between 1 February 2013 and 31 January 2014, and at one of the original four hospitals from 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals selected from Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark, aged 18-55, and undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for a traumatic or degenerative meniscal tear (defined by a combination... (More)

OBJECTIVES: To compare patient reported outcomes from before surgery to 52 weeks after surgery between individuals undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic meniscal tears and those for degenerative meniscal tears.

DESIGN: Comparative prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Four public orthopaedic departments in the Region of Southern Denmark. Participants were recruited between 1 February 2013 and 31 January 2014, and at one of the original four hospitals from 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals selected from Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark, aged 18-55, and undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for a traumatic or degenerative meniscal tear (defined by a combination of age and symptom onset).

INTERVENTIONS: Both participant groups underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for a meniscal tear, with operating surgeons recording relevant information on knee pathology. Patient reported outcomes were recorded via online questionnaires.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was the average between-group difference in change on four of five subscales of the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS). The four subscales covered pain, symptoms, sport and recreational function, and quality of life (KOOS4). A 95% confidence interval excluding differences greater than 10 KOOS points between groups was interpreted as absence of a clinically meaningful difference. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index.

RESULTS: 397 eligible adults (42% women) with a traumatic or degenerative meniscal tear (n=141, mean age 38.7 years (standard deviation 10.9); n=256, 46.6 years (6.4); respectively) were included in the main analysis. At 52 weeks after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, 55 (14%) patients were lost to follow-up. Statistically, participants with degenerative meniscal tears had a significantly larger improvement in KOOS4 scores than those with traumatic tears (adjusted between-group difference -5.1 (95% confidence interval -8.9 to -1.3); P=0.008). In the analysis including KOOS4 score at all time points, a significant time-by-group interaction was observed in both the unadjusted (P=0.025) and adjusted analysis (P=0.024), indicating better self-reported outcomes in participants with degenerative tears. However, the difference between groups was at no time point considered clinically meaningful.

CONCLUSIONS: These results question the current tenet that patients with traumatic meniscal tears experience greater improvements in patient reported outcomes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy than patients with degenerative tears.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01871272.

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Contribution to journal
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published
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keywords
Adolescent, Adult, Arthroscopy, Denmark/epidemiology, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hospitals, Public/statistics & numerical data, Humans, Knee Injuries/epidemiology, Male, Meniscus/injuries, Middle Aged, Osteoarthritis, Knee/epidemiology, Patient Reported Outcome Measures, Prospective Studies, Treatment Failure, Young Adult
in
BMJ
volume
356
article number
j356
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85011674761
  • pmid:28153861
ISSN
0959-8138
DOI
10.1136/bmj.j356
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
id
38aeb97e-076d-43b7-b3e8-7b1466383715
date added to LUP
2019-05-23 09:19:18
date last changed
2024-04-16 08:08:53
@article{38aeb97e-076d-43b7-b3e8-7b1466383715,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: To compare patient reported outcomes from before surgery to 52 weeks after surgery between individuals undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic meniscal tears and those for degenerative meniscal tears.</p><p>DESIGN: Comparative prospective cohort study.</p><p>SETTING: Four public orthopaedic departments in the Region of Southern Denmark. Participants were recruited between 1 February 2013 and 31 January 2014, and at one of the original four hospitals from 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015.</p><p>PARTICIPANTS: Individuals selected from Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark, aged 18-55, and undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for a traumatic or degenerative meniscal tear (defined by a combination of age and symptom onset).</p><p>INTERVENTIONS: Both participant groups underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for a meniscal tear, with operating surgeons recording relevant information on knee pathology. Patient reported outcomes were recorded via online questionnaires.</p><p>MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was the average between-group difference in change on four of five subscales of the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS). The four subscales covered pain, symptoms, sport and recreational function, and quality of life (KOOS4). A 95% confidence interval excluding differences greater than 10 KOOS points between groups was interpreted as absence of a clinically meaningful difference. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index.</p><p>RESULTS: 397 eligible adults (42% women) with a traumatic or degenerative meniscal tear (n=141, mean age 38.7 years (standard deviation 10.9); n=256, 46.6 years (6.4); respectively) were included in the main analysis. At 52 weeks after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, 55 (14%) patients were lost to follow-up. Statistically, participants with degenerative meniscal tears had a significantly larger improvement in KOOS4 scores than those with traumatic tears (adjusted between-group difference -5.1 (95% confidence interval -8.9 to -1.3); P=0.008). In the analysis including KOOS4 score at all time points, a significant time-by-group interaction was observed in both the unadjusted (P=0.025) and adjusted analysis (P=0.024), indicating better self-reported outcomes in participants with degenerative tears. However, the difference between groups was at no time point considered clinically meaningful.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: These results question the current tenet that patients with traumatic meniscal tears experience greater improvements in patient reported outcomes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy than patients with degenerative tears.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01871272.</p>}},
  author       = {{Thorlund, Jonas Bloch and Englund, Martin and Christensen, Robin and Nissen, Nis and Pihl, Kenneth and Jørgensen, Uffe and Schjerning, Jeppe and Lohmander, L Stefan}},
  issn         = {{0959-8138}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescent; Adult; Arthroscopy; Denmark/epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hospitals, Public/statistics & numerical data; Humans; Knee Injuries/epidemiology; Male; Meniscus/injuries; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Knee/epidemiology; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Prospective Studies; Treatment Failure; Young Adult}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ}},
  title        = {{Patient reported outcomes in patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for traumatic or degenerative meniscal tears : comparative prospective cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j356}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmj.j356}},
  volume       = {{356}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}