A prospective and comparative study of either physiotherapy along or accompanied arthroscopic surgery for degenerative meniscal tears
FU Dong
SHAN Lian-cheng
CAI Zheng-dong
LI Guo-dong
Abstract：Objective To evaluate whether physiotherapy along was superior to physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery in the treatment of degenerative meniscal tears.Methods A total of 40 patients of more than 50 years old were diagnosed as meniscal tears based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( MRI ), and then were divided into 2 treatment groups. The patients in the physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery group (n=20 ) received arthroscopic surgery and then postoperative physical therapy, and the patients in the physical therapy group (n=20 ) received physical therapy alone. The differences in the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score ( KOOS ) were compared between the 2 groups at 6, 12 and 24 months after the treatment.Results At 6 months after the treatment, the pain, sports and entertainment, daily activities and KOOS scores both in the physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery group and in the physical therapy group were obviously improved when compared with the preoperative scores, and the differences between them were statistically signiifcant. In the physical therapy group, the pain scores was improved from 46.35 points to 40.10 points (P<0.001 ), the sports and entertainment scores from 21.45 points to 42.60 points (P<0.0001 ), the scores of daily activities from 27.85 points to 41.75 points (P<0.0001 ) and the total KOOS from 26.12 points to 46.85 points (P<0.0001 ). In the physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery group, the pain scores was improved from 47.05 points to 33.25 points (P<0.0001 ), the sports and entertainment scores from 21.55 points to 38.10 points (P=0.002 ), the scores of daily activities from 26.00 points to 46.84 points (P<0.0001 ) and the total KOOS from 23.05 points to 39.26 points (P<0.0001 ). The clinical symptoms at 12 months after the treatment were further improved when compared with that at 6 months after the treatment, and the differences between them were statistically signiifcant. In the physical therapy group, the pain scores was changed to 29.20 points (P<0.0001 ), the sports and entertainment scores to 53.16 points (P=0.007 ), the scores of daily activities to 53.10 points (P<0.0001 ) and the total KOOS to 50.90 points (P=0.001 ). In the physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery group, the pain scores was changed to 24.55 points (P<0.001 ), the sports and entertainment scores to 54.10 points (P<0.0001 ), the scores of daily activities to 57.65 points (P<0.0001 ) and the total KOOS to 50.77 points (P<0.0001 ). The scores of various items at 24 months after the treatment were almost equal to the scores at 12 months after the treatment. Although the overall scores in the physical therapy accompanied by arthroscopic surgery group were superior to that in the physical therapy group at different follow-up stages, the differences between them were not statistically signiifcant (P>0.05 ).Conclusions During the 2-year follow-up, no statistically signiifcant differences are found in the functional improvement or pain relief between the 2 groups. Physical therapy should be considered as the preferred treatment choice for degenerative meniscal tears.
Keywords：MeniscustibiaArthroscopeKnee injuryProspective studyRehabilitationKnee joint
Publication Date：2014-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 429-432 )