A 12-Week Exercise Therapy Program in Middle-Aged Patients With Degenerative Meniscus Tears: A Case Series With 1-Year Follow-up

Background: There is controversy about the benefit of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) for degenerative lesions in middle-aged patients. Purpose: To compare satisfaction with APM between middle-aged patients with no or mild knee osteoarthritis (OA) and a degenerative meniscal tear and those with a traumatic tear. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A comparative prospective study at 5 years of middle-aged patients (45-60 years old) with no or mild OA undergoing APM for degenerative (n = 115) or traumatic (n = 143) tears was conducted. Patient satisfaction was measured by a 5-point Likert scale and functional outcomes by the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors correlating with patient-reported satisfaction at 5 years postoperatively. Results: Baseline patient characteristics were not different between groups. At the 5-year evaluation, the satisfaction rate in the traumatic and degenerative groups was 68.5% versus 71.3%, respectively ( P = .365). Patient satisfaction was significantly associated with functional outcomes ( r = 0.69; P = .024). In the degenerative group, 43 patients (37.4%) had OA progression to Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade 2 or 3, but only 24 patients (20.8%) had a symptomatic knee at final follow-up. Multivariate regression analysis for patient dissatisfaction at 5-year follow-up showed the following significant independent factors: female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.6 [95% CI, 1.1-2.3]; P = .018), body mass index >30 kg/m2 (OR, 2.6 [95% CI, 1.7-4.9]; P = .035), lateral meniscal tears (OR, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.1-0.9]; P = .039), and OA progression to K-L grade ≥2 at final follow-up (OR, 1.4 [95% CI, 1.2-2.6]; P = .014). At the final evaluation, there were no significant differences between groups in pain scores ( P = .648), WOMAC scores ( P = .083), or KOOS-4 scores ( P = .187). Likewise, there were no significant differences in the KOOS subscores for Pain ( P = .144), Symptoms ( P = .097), or Sports/Recreation ( P = .150). Although the degenerative group had significantly higher subscores for Activities of Daily Living ( P = .001) and Quality of Life ( P = .004), the differences were considered not clinically meaningful. Conclusion: There were no meaningful differences in patient satisfaction or clinical outcomes between patients with traumatic and degenerative tears and no or mild OA. Predictors of dissatisfaction with APM were female sex, obesity, and lateral meniscal tears. Our findings suggested that APM was an effective medium-term option to relieve pain and recover function in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tears, without obvious OA, and with failed prior physical therapy.

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Patient-reported outcomes after surgical and non-surgical treatment of proximal hamstring avulsions in middle-aged patients

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000511 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. e000511 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elsa Pihl ◽

Olof Skoldenberg ◽

Hans Nasell ◽

Sven Jonhagen ◽

Paula Kelly Pettersson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surgical Treatment ◽

Treatment Algorithm ◽

Hamstring Injury ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Aged Patients ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Proximal Hamstring ◽

Non Surgical Treatment

ObjectivesIn the literature on proximal hamstring avulsions, only two studies report the outcomes of non-surgically treated patients. Our objective was to compare subjective recovery after surgical and non-surgical treatment of proximal hamstring avulsions in a middle-aged cohort.MethodsWe included 47 patients (33 surgically and 14 non-surgically treated) with a mean (SD) age of 51 (±9) years in a retrospective cohort study. Follow-up time mean (SD) of 3.9 (±1.4) years. The outcome variables were the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and questions from the Proximal Hamstring Injury Questionnaire. Outcome variables were adjusted in regression models for gender, age, American Society of Anestesiologits (ASA) classification and MRI findings at diagnosis.ResultsThe baseline characteristics showed no differences except for the MRI result, in which the surgically treated group had a larger proportion of tendons retracted ≥ 2 cm. The mean LEFS score was 74 (SD±12) in the surgically treated cohort and 72 (SD±16) in the non-surgically treated cohort. This was also true after adjusting for confounders. The only difference in outcome at follow-up was the total hours performing physical activity per week, p=0.02; surgically treated patients reported 2.5 hours or more (5.2 vs 2.7).ConclusionThis study on middle-aged patients with proximal hamstring avulsions was unable to identify any difference in patient-reported outcome measures between surgically and non-surgically treated patients. The vast majority of patients treated surgically had complete proximal hamstring avulsions with ≥ 2 cm of retraction. We conclude that to obtain an evidence-based treatment algorithm for proximal hamstring avulsions studies of higher scientific level are needed.

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Can even experienced orthopaedic surgeons predict who will benefit from surgery when patients present with degenerative meniscal tears? A survey of 194 orthopaedic surgeons who made 3880 predictions

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2019-100567 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. bjsports-2019-100567 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Victor A van de Graaf ◽

Coen H Bloembergen ◽

Nienke W Willigenburg ◽

Julia C A Noorduyn ◽

Daniel BF Saris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Exercise Therapy ◽

Knee Function ◽

Meniscal Tears ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Clinical Trial Registration ◽

Aged Patients ◽

Orthopaedic Surgeons ◽

Patient Profiles ◽

Percentage Correct

ObjectivesTo examine the ability of surgeons to predict the outcome of treatment for meniscal tears by arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) and exercise therapy in middle-aged patients.Design and settingElectronic survey. Orthopaedic surgeon survey participants were presented 20 patient profiles. These profiles were derived from a randomised clinical trial comparing APM with exercise therapy in middle-aged patients with symptomatic non-obstructive meniscal tears. From each treatment group (APM and exercise therapy), we selected five patients with the best (responders) and five patients with the worst (non-responders) knee function after treatment. 1111 orthopaedic surgeons and residents in the Netherlands and Australia were invited to participate in the survey.InterventionsFor each of the 20 patient profiles, surgeons (unaware of treatment allocation) had to choose between APM and exercise therapy as preferred treatment and subsequently had to estimate the expected change in knee function for both treatments on a 5-point Likert Scale. Finally, surgeons were asked which patient characteristics affected their treatment choice.Main outcomesThe primary outcome was the surgeons’ percentage correct predictions. We also compared this percentage between experienced knee surgeons and other orthopaedic surgeons, and between treatment responders and non-responders.ResultsWe received 194 (17%) complete responses for all 20 patient profiles, resulting in 3880 predictions. Overall, 50.0% (95% CI 39.6% to 60.4%) of the predictions were correct, which equals the proportion expected by chance. Experienced knee surgeons were not better in predicting outcome than other orthopaedic surgeons (50.4% vs 49.5%, respectively; p=0.29). The percentage correct predictions was lower for patient profiles of non-responders (34%; 95% CI 21.3% to 46.6%) compared with responders (66.0%; 95% CI 57.0% to 75.0%; p=0.01).In general, bucket handle tears, knee locking and failed non-operative treatment directed the surgeons’ choice towards APM, while higher level of osteoarthritis, degenerative aetiology and the absence of locking complaints directed the surgeons’ choice towards exercise therapy.ConclusionsSurgeons’ criteria for deciding that surgery was indicated did not pass statistical examination. This was true regardless of a surgeon’s experience. These results suggest that non-surgical management is appropriate as first-line therapy in middle-aged patients with symptomatic non-obstructive meniscal tears.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03462134.

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