Treatment Outcomes of Meniscal Root Tears: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE: To report changes in outcomes for these 3 treatment options for meniscal root tears. METHODS: We systematically searched databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect for relevant articles. Criteria from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was used for a quality assessment of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed to analyze changes in outcomes for meniscal repair. RESULTS: Nineteen studies, 12 level III and 7 level IV, were included in this systematic review, with a total of 1086 patients. Conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) following partial meniscectomy ranged from 11% to 54%, 31% to 35% for nonoperative, conservative treatment, and 0% to 1% for meniscal repair. Studies comparing repair with either meniscectomy or conservative treatment found greater improvement and slower progression of Kellgren–Lawrence grade with meniscal repair. A meta-analysis of the studies included in the systematic review using forest plots showed repair to have the greatest mean difference for functional outcomes (International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm Activity Scale) and the lowest change in follow-up joint space. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who experience meniscal root tears, meniscal repair may provide the greatest improvement in function and lowest risk of conversion to TKA when compared with partial meniscectomy or conservative methods. Partial meniscectomy appears to provide no benefit over conservative treatment, placing patients at a high risk of requiring TKA in the near future. However, future high-quality studies—both comparative studies and randomized trials—are needed to draw further conclusions and better impact treatment decision-making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of level III and level IV evidence