Proprioception following partial meniscectomy in stable knees

To investigate the proprioceptive function of patients with isolated meniscal tears of the knee before and after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. One hundred subjects (50 patients who underwent a knee arthroscopy and 50 normal controls) were evaluated using single-leg dynamic postural stabilometry. All participants were assessed clinically and radiologically. Knee outcome scores were obtained for all subjects. Of the 50 patients arthroscoped, 34 were found to have meniscal tears. Twenty-nine of these patients were reassessed 3 months post-operatively. There was a significant proprioceptive deficit in subjects with meniscal tears when compared to their normal contra-lateral knee (P < 0.001) and the control group (P < 0.001). Partial meniscectomy resulted in a significant improvement in knee outcome scores but not proprioception measurements (n.s.). Patients with isolated meniscal tears were found to have a significant proprioceptive deficit which persisted following arthroscopic partial meniscectomy despite an otherwise successful clinical outcome.