Arthroscopic Meniscal Surgery vs. Non-Operative Care for Degenerative Tears: What the 5-Year Research May Be Telling Us
Getting out of a chair should not feel like a major event. Walking up stairs should not make you wonder whether your knee will catch, grind, or give out. Yet that is exactly where many people find themselves when they have chronic knee pain and are told they have a degenerative meniscal tear.
If you have been told that arthroscopic meniscal surgery is the obvious next step, it may be worth taking a closer look before moving forward.
A 5-year systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published in theJournal of Orthopaedic Reportsfound no significant long-term difference in pain, activity, or knee function between arthroscopic meniscal surgery and non-operative care for patients with degenerative meniscal tears and mechanical symptoms. Even more important, the surgical group showed significantly higher osteoarthritic progression over time. 1
That matters.
Because when long-term pain and function outcomes appear similar, but one path may be associated with greater arthritic progression, the decision deserves a deeper and more thoughtful evaluation.
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