KNEE PROPRIOCEPTION FOLLOWING MENISCAL REPAIR

Background. It is well known that meniscectomy leads to osteoarthritis of the knee and proprioception impairment. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess retrospectively the joint position sense after meniscal suture and partial medial meniscal resection and to estimate the patients' satisfaction with knee function. Material and Methods. We evaluated the outcomes of 27 patients after meniscal repair and compared them to those of 24 patients after partial meniscal resection. We estimated the joint position sense at 30°, 45° and 60° of flexion using the Biodex system 4 Pro. All patients were assessed with the IKDC 2000 subjective knee score. Results. A statistically significant worsening in reproducing the injured joint position in comparison to the healthy limb in both groups was observed. These impairments were mostly expressed at 45° and 60° of knee flexion, and were worsening over time in the group of patients who had undergone medial meniscal resection. An average value by the IKDC 2000 scale after 24 months in the meniscorrhaphy group was 76.73 ± 11.17% and 68.93 ± 14.76% after partial medial meniscal resection. Сonclusion. The control over position of the knee is not impaired after meniscal repair. An overall satisfaction with joint function is higher in patients who undergo meniscal suture in comparison to the partial medial meniscal resection group.