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Cartilage degeneration and not age influences the health-related quality of life outcome after partial meniscectomy

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether inconsistently reported factors influence the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcome of partial meniscectomy.

Method

Short Form 36 (SF-36) data on 216 patients were retrospectively analysed for the influence of the factors age, gender and degree of cartilage degeneration. Mixed linear models were applied for univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

All SF-36 scales, including the psychosocial scales, showed a significant improvement from pre- to post-operative (p < 0.001). The factor ‘degree of cartilage degeneration’ was found to significantly influence post-surgical improvement of the SF-36 ‘physical component summary’ score. Patients with mild cartilage degeneration benefited significantly more from surgery than did patients with advanced cartilage degeneration (p = 0.011). Older patients had significantly lower scores on each subscale, but showed no significant age–time interaction, that is, no association was seen between age and the degree of improvement. No effect was determined for the variable gender.

Conclusions

The findings of the current study can be interpreted to show that arthroscopic partial meniscectomy significantly improves HRQOL, even in mental or psychosocial dimensions of HRQOL. Not age but the degree of cartilage degeneration influences the HRQOL gain that can be expected. The factor gender has no effect on HRQOL. The findings of our study influence our daily routine, in that we take the degree of cartilage degeneration and not age as predictive value for the success to be anticipated from the procedure. Concerning the preoperative consenting, it is important to mention that advanced cartilage degeneration is a predictor of a less favourable outcome.

Level of evidence

IV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Michael C. Liebensteiner, Ricarda Lechner & Martin Thaler

  2. Institute of Experimental Orthopedics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    Michael Nogler

  3. Center of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    Johannes M. Giesinger

  4. Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    Florian Lenze

Authors
  1. Michael C. Liebensteiner
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  2. Michael Nogler
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  3. Johannes M. Giesinger
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  4. Ricarda Lechner
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  5. Florian Lenze
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  6. Martin Thaler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael C. Liebensteiner.

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Liebensteiner, M.C., Nogler, M., Giesinger, J.M. et al. Cartilage degeneration and not age influences the health-related quality of life outcome after partial meniscectomy. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 23, 26–31 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-013-2478-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-013-2478-z

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