An alternative to surgery for some meniscal tears
Physical therapy (PT) seems to be a reasonable alternative to early surgery for adults with non-obstructive meniscal tears, according to a non-inferiority trial in JAMA.
The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone). There are two menisci in each knee joint. They can be damaged or torn during activities that put pressure on or rotate the knee joint.
Over 300 adults aged 45–70 with knee pain and MRI-confirmed, non-obstructive meniscal tears (including both degenerative and traumatic) were randomised to receive arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or physical therapy. The latter included 16 thirty-minute sessions over 8 weeks.
PT was non-inferior to surgery over 24 months' follow-up, with both groups showing improvements in self-reported knee function. When examined at various time points, however, PT was non-inferior at the 3- and 6-month mark, but not at the 12- and 24-month mark.
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