Study of the Functional Outcome of Arthroscopic Management of the Meniscal Injury in Knee Joint at Tertiary Care Centre

Background: Most common knee injury in sportsperson and athletes is meniscal injuries. Other than sports most common reason road traffic accident and person working in mines, mainly it is due to rotational injuries of knee joint. Such meniscal tears or injuries are repaired by surgical management which involves open surgery, arthoscopic surgery, meniscectomy etc, it is seen that of all the total surgical management done meniscectomy is done among 66 per 100,000 population per year.

Aim and Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopy in the diagnosis and management of meniscal injuries.

Material and Methods: This prospective study was carried out among patients with meniscal injuries of knee joint and getting admitted under orthopaedic department at tertiary care center. Study was carried out for a period of one and half year. Mainly all cases having meniscal injury and showing meniscal lesion on MRI findings were studied. Patients aged between 18-80 years with clinically suspected meniscal injuries and suggestive MRI findings of meniscal lesion were included in the study. All patients not willing to participate, having infection around knee, having lower leg fractures were not studied. Patients with both clinically suspected and MRI diagnosed meniscal injury were admitted. Data analysis was done with the help of appropriate software version. Quantitative data was presented with the help of mean, standard deviation, median and comparison among study group was done with the help of unpaired T test. Qualitative data was represented with frequency and percentage tables, association among study parameters was assessed with the help of chi- square test. P value less than 0.05 is taken as significant level.

Results: Mean age in years was 48.56+6.43, ranging from 51 to 73 years. Majority 53.33% were females. Common mode of injury was road traffic accident (56.6%). Medial meniscus was commonly involved (73.3%). Applying multiple regression to KOOS score r2 value is 0.9 and p value was zero.

43.4% cases showed good functional outcome, 36.6% showed excellent and 20% showed fair outcome. Complications were seen among 17% cases.

Conclusion: present study concludes that as meniscal tear is very common injury among adults. This should be diagnosed and treated at earliest. Arthroscopy gives good post-operative results. The functional outcome is good in arthroscopy treated patients and complications noted were also very less. So, arthroscopic meniscal repair can be considered as a good operational tool for meniscal repair.