Prospective randomised study demonstrates the benefits of meniscal transplantation over conservative management for the symptomatic relief of symptoms after meniscal loss.
“A pilot randomized trial of meniscal allograft transplantation versus personalized physiotherapy for patients with a symptomatic meniscal deficient knee compartment”
N. A. Smith, N. Parsons, D. Wright, C. Hutchinson, A. Metcalfe, P. Thompson, M. L. Costa, T. Spalding
The Bone and Joint Journal 2018; 100(1): 56-63
In this study, the researchers from Warwick looked at a mix of patients suffering from knee symptoms as a consequence of previous meniscal loss. 21 patients were randomised into either conservative management or surgical treatment with meniscal transplantation. An additional 15 patients were also examined, but these patients chose their treatment option. The authors found that the outcomes between the randomised and patient-choice groups were similar, and hence the data was pooled.
At 1 year, pain and activities of daily living were significantly superior in those patients undergoing meniscal transplantation compared to the conservatively managed group, who had physiotherapy treatments alone.
This is the first published study that has actually been able to compare meniscal transplantation surgery with a control group of conservatively managed patients.
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