Meniscectomized Knees Regain Normal Walking Flexion Range of Motion With Time Past Surgery

Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries with an incidence rate of 60–70 per 100,000 person-years [1]. Although arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, the leading treatment for meniscal tears, decreases pain, the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is four times higher for a meniscectomized knee compared to an uninjured knee [2]. Prior research has shown that meniscectomized knees have reduced sagittal-plane range of motion in the early period following surgery (6 to 18 months) [3–5]. These observations suggest a mechanical pathway to knee OA, in which alteration in ambulatory knee function causes shifts in tibiofemoral cartilage location to unprepared cartilage regions, thus causing damage to the maladapted tissue [6]. While such a mechanical pathway is well documented for knees with reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament [7], the paucity of information regarding the walking mechanics of meniscectomized knees at longer term post-operation limits our understanding of the pathway to OA in this population. Particularly, it is unknown whether meniscectomized knees regain normal dynamic range of motion (ROM) in knee flexion with time past surgery. Because regaining ROM alters the mechanical function in the meniscectomized knee, understanding the changes in this gait variable over time may help elucidate the various pathways to OA development in meniscectomized knees.