The long-term course of various meniscal treatments in anterior cruciate ligament deficient knees.

One hundred thirty-five patients were reviewed six to 16 years after anterior cruciate ligament repair or reconstruction. At follow-up evaluation, 60% of the patients demonstrated significant residual laxity on objective testing. Thirty percent of the patients reduced activity levels because of instability. Degenerative arthritis was noted to be more frequent in those patients who had been treated with total open meniscectomy than in those treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, and it was more severe than in patients with intact menisci. Continued participation in high-stress sporting activities generally led to a high rate of further injuries, reoperations, and progression of osteoarthrosis.