Increased risk for knee replacement surgery after arthroscopic surgery for degenerative meniscal tears: a multi-center longitudinal observational study using data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

Abstract

Objective: The primary objective was to assess whether patients with knee osteoarthritis and whom undergo arthroscopic meniscectomy have an increased risk for future knee replacement surgery.

Results: 335 participants underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy during follow up, of which 63 (18.8%) underwent knee replacement surgery in the same knee. Of the 335 propensity score matched participants 38 (11.1%) underwent knee replacement surgery during follow up. Results from the Cox-proportional hazards model demonstrated that the hazard ratio of knee replacement surgery was 3.03 (95% CI (1.67-5.26)) for participants who underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy relative to the propensity score matched participants who did not undergo arthroscopic meniscectomy.

Conclusions: In patients with knee osteoarthritis arthroscopic knee surgery with meniscectomy is associated with a three fold increase in the risk for future knee replacement surgery.