Partial or total open meniscectomy? A prospective, randomized study.

In order to compare partial with total meniscectomy a prospective clinical study of 200 patients was carried out. At arthrotomy 100 patients were allocated to each type of operation. The two groups did not differ in duration of symptoms, age distribution, or sex ratio. The operations were performed as conventional arthrotomies. One hundred and ninety two of the patients were seen at follow up 2 and 12 months after operation. There was no difference in the period off work between the two groups. One year after operation, 6 of the 98 patients treated with partial meniscectomy had undergone further operation. In all posterior tears were found at both procedures. Among the 94 patients undergoing total meniscectomy, 4 required further operation. In each, part of the posterior horn had been left at the primary procedure. One year after operation significantly more patients who had undergone partial meniscectomy had been relieved of symptoms. However, the two groups did not show any difference in the degree of radiological changes present.