Meniscectomy

A meniscectomy is the surgical procedure of removing a meniscus.

 

Full or partial meniscectomy

The outer rim of the meniscus is particular important in protecting the cartilage surfaces of the knee joint. If the meniscus, including the outer rim, is removed then that is a full meniscectomy. If only part of the meniscus is trimmed away, then that is a partial meniscectomy.

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Related Content

What is meniscus preservation and why does it matter?

The reasons why doctors nowadays try to preserve the meniscus.

Structural and functional consequences of meniscectomy

Although a patient may feel relief after a meniscectomy, there is invariably an effect on the joint which in the longer term may lead to joint surface damage and structural changes.

2008 - Comparison of the Collagen Meniscus Implant with Partial Meniscectomy.

An 'interpretation' of a 2008 paper looking at whether the use of a collagen meniscus is valuable after meniscus injury. The conclusion was there there was some likely benefit in patients who had had a previous meniscectomy but not in patients who had just torn their meniscus.

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CLINICAL PUBLICATIONS

The Meniscus-Deficient Knee. Rao AJ, Erickson BJ, Cvetanovich GL, Yanke AB, Bach BR, Jr, and Cole BJ. Orthop J Sports Med. 2015 Oct; 3(10): 2325967115611386.

Meniscal Preservation is Important for the Knee Joint. Patil SS, Shekhar A and Tapasvi SR. Indian J Orthop. 2017 Sep-Oct; 51(5): 576–587.

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